Girona FC are back in LaLiga, Spanish football’s top division. The Catalan club achieved promotion through the 2021/22 LaLiga SmartBank promotion playoffs after finishing sixth in the regular season. They knocked out SD Eibar in the semi-finals and then overcame CD Tenerife in the two-legged playoff final, drawing 0-0 at home and then winning 3-1 away on the island on Sunday night thanks to a Cristhian Stuani penalty, a José León own goal and a third from Arnau Martínez.L’entrada a la Plaça del Vi… 🤤🤩 pic.twitter.com/2w7VTK3S9f— Girona FC (@GironaFC) June 21, 2022 The 2022/23 LaLiga season will be Girona FC’s third ever campaign in the top tier, after previously playing at the highest level in 2017/18, when they finished a very impressive 10th, and in 2018/19, when the Blanquivermells – the White and Reds, in English – were relegated. Since then, Girona FC have reached the final of the playoffs in each of their three seasons back down at LaLiga SmartBank level, but they lost to Elche CF in 2019/20 and to Rayo Vallecano in 2020/21. This year, though, it was third time lucky for the club as they defeated CD Tenerife on the same day as Bàsquet Girona, the city’s basketball team, earned their own promotion in to the Spanish top division for that sport.That city, called Girona in the local Catalan language or Gerona in Castilian Spanish, is located around 100km northeast of Barcelona. Its population is approximately 100,000, while the city is also famous for its cathedral, colourful buildings, large airport and for having been used as a filming location for the ‘Game of Thrones’ series. Yeah, that’s right, three! ⚽️⚽️⚽️🇰🇪Michael Olunga becomes the first @GironaFC player to score a hat-trick in #LaLigaSantander!#GironaLasPalmas pic.twitter.com/gVhBsegWuZ— LaLiga English (@LaLigaEN) January 13, 2018 It is only in recent years that the city has boasted a successful football team. Although Girona FC was founded in 1930 and reached Spain’s second tier for the first time in 1934, the club later spent several decades outside of professional football. Between 1959 and 2008, the Blanquivermells never climbed higher than the third tier of the Spanish footballing pyramid.##NAJAVA_MECA_6465379##A promotion into LaLiga SmartBank in 2008 was followed by a period of stability and the club then finally achieved its maiden promotion to LaLiga Santander in 2016/17 by finishing second and earning automatic promotion under the guidance of tactician Pablo Machín. They had come close before, but could finally take a seat at the top table of Spanish football.Michael Olunga scored a brace as Spanish top tier side Girona beat CF Ripoll 8~0 in a friendly match pic.twitter.com/R6t9okx0eZ— Jeff Kinyanjui (@_JeffKinyanjui) September 4, 2017 Ahead of that first LaLiga Santander season, the club was taken over by new investors, as City Football Group and Girona Football Group purchased significant stakes in the club. This meant Girona FC could lean on the international experience of City Football Group, which also runs other elite clubs such as Manchester City FC and New York City FC, at the same time as keeping former player and Girona native Delfí Geli as president. Pedri: Football has become more and more robotic – but I play for the fun of itThis formula has worked well, with Girona FC achieving an impressive top-half finish in their first season in LaLiga, before enjoying more highlights even as they finished 18th the following year, such as a 2-1 win at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu.Cristhian Stuani scored in that game at the Bernabéu and the talented Uruguayan striker decided to stay with Girona FC, even after the relegation, a gesture of faith and confidence in the club’s project. With the side reaching the playoff final in each of their three years back in LaLiga SmartBank and then winning promotion this term, under coach Míchel, it is clear that this is a well-run club. They should be fun to watch as LaLiga Santander football returns to their 12,000-capacity Estadi Montilivi this coming August.
