What does the future hold for Girona after their 'fairytale'?

After past season's fairytale campaign, Spanish minnows Girona are having to accommodate to beingness successful the Champions League.

Ascending to football's loftiest heights challenges the senses, and Girona's surefootenedness astatine this level is already being rigorously tested.

Ivan Quiros, co-founder of authoritative Girona instrumentality club, Penya Jandrista GFC, archetypal attended games astatine the Estadi Montilivi successful the precocious 1980s erstwhile the broadside were successful the Spanish 3rd division. He told BBC Sport that qualifying to look Europe's elite was "an unattainable and intolerable dream, made real".

The Catalan nine lone entered the 2nd part successful 2008 aft a 49-year lack from nonrecreational football, yet they were promoted to the Spanish apical formation for the archetypal clip successful 2017.

They finished 3rd successful La Liga past season, conscionable 4 points down second-placed Barcelona. They scored 85 goals, which was lone 2 less than champions Real Madrid.

Catalan writer Xevi Masachs explained that it is present commonplace to spot "children with Girona shirts" – thing which would person been "unbelievable" 15 years ago, erstwhile hoops was the city's main athletics and astir shot fans supported neighbours Barcelona.

Girona's stadium tin lone clasp astir 9,600 spectators successful the Champions League, due to the fact that of Uefa rules. Even specified a humble assemblage is simply a acold outcry from erstwhile simply hundreds of fans would crook retired astatine the crushed astatine the crook of the century.

Jan Nadal Colome, 19, who has had a play summons since 2012, remembers however fans were capable to "walk each the mode astir the stadium" erstwhile helium archetypal went to games.

"We could alteration to the different extremity erstwhile they were attacking oregon determination was a penalty," helium said.

On Wednesday, the Montilivi stadium volition big Girona's 3rd lucifer successful the Champions League – against Slovakian broadside Slovan Bratislava. It is harmless to accidental this 1 is alternatively important.

Girona suffered a 1-0 defeat successful their opening lucifer against Paris St-Germain, via a 90th-minute ain goal. That was followed by a 3-2 defeat astatine location to Feyenoord, successful which Girona missed a punishment and scored 2 much ain goals to adjacent Fenerbahce's grounds for astir ain goals successful a azygous Champions League season.

After 10 La Liga matches, manager Michel’s squad beryllium 12th successful the table.

Miquel Agut Riera, who commentates connected Girona's matches, said their qualification for the Champions League had travel "too fast".

Riera cites the nonaccomplishment of cardinal players implicit the summertime arsenic a crushed for the downturn successful Girona's form.

Last season's apical scorer successful La Liga, Artem Dovbyk, 27, joined Roma, portion 20-year-old prima loanee Savinho joined Manchester City for 40m euros (£30.8m).

Midfielder Aleix Garcia, 27, moved to Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen and 23-year-old centre-back Eric Garcia returned to Barcelona astatine the extremity of his indebtedness aft playing a important relation successful Girona's defence.

Girona besides recruited 11 caller players. Riera told BBC Sport that, "with that magnitude of caller players, you request time" - practically intolerable fixed the relentless fixture calendar.

In August 2017, the City Football Group (CFG), a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi United Group, purchased 44.3% ownership successful Girona.

That accrued to 47% successful 2020. Another 44.3% was held by Girona Football Group, led by Pep Guardiola's member Pere.

In bid for Girona to conscionable Uefa requirements to vie successful the Champions League alongside City, CFG had to transfer shares to a unsighted trust and important changes had to beryllium made to restrict their power and decision-making powerfulness astatine the club.

Those shares are owed to beryllium transferred backmost successful July 2025.

In 2015-16, 4 Manchester City players were loaned to Girona, followed by 3 successful 2016-17 and 5 successful 2017-18. Three players were loaned successful 2019-20, 4 successful 2020-21 and 3 successful 2021-22.

Some of those loans person been impactful - specified arsenic the 1 involving right-back Yan Couto, who joined Borussia Dortmund this summertime for £25.3m (30m euros), aft 2 spells astatine Girona.

Others person failed to marque their mark. Left-back Angelino, who is present a Roma player, failed to marque an quality aft being concisely loaned from City to Girona successful 2017.

Supporter Colome told BBC Sport that helium considered erstwhile Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz, who joined Juventus for £42.35m (50m euros) successful June, to beryllium an "average player" whilst helium was connected indebtedness astatine Girona from City from 2017 to 2019.

Commentator Riera told BBC Sport that the main vantage of being owned by CFG is simply a much nonrecreational structure.

"Of course, their fund was overmuch higher, but it wasn't similar Paris St-Germain, with caller owners who arrived and said, 'how overmuch wealth bash you want?'," Riera said.

The squad that finished 3rd successful La Liga past play outgo conscionable 33.75m euros (£29m) successful transportation fees. Only 5 different teams successful La Liga spent little and Real Madrid's squad outgo 573m euros (£493m).

"We person been fortunate with these owners," said Riera. "They are gathering a caller installation for the players to train. They are creating the operation for a immense club, but I don't cognize what's going to hap successful the future."

Riera considers sporting manager Quique Carcel to beryllium the "key to the past decade" of occurrence astatine Girona, due to the fact that "he's the fig that's ever been there", earlier and since the CFG takeover.

The 50-year-old Barcelona autochthonal joined Girona arsenic sporting manager successful 2014, erstwhile the nine were competing successful the 2nd division, with aggregate reports of superior fiscal troubles.

In his archetypal 2 seasons, Girona made it to successive play-offs astatine that level earlier gaining promotion successful Carcel's 3rd run astatine the helm.

They were relegated to the Segunda Division again successful 2018-19 but made it backmost to the apical formation successful 2021-22 aft 2 erstwhile disappointments successful the play-off finals.

Journalist Masachs said that - "with precise antithetic contexts and budgets" - Carcel had ever "built teams that fought for occurrence until the past day".

During his tenure, Carcel is credited with making canny loans and transfers for youngsters, journeymen and cast-offs.

Ukrainian striker Dovbyk, who scored 24 goals successful La Liga past season, was Girona's grounds signing past year, astatine 7.5m euros (£6.2m). The 27-year-old has since been nominated for the Ballon d’Or.

Brazilian winger Savinho ne'er featured for genitor nine Troyes aft they signed him from Atletico Mineiro for astir 7m euros (£6m) successful 2022. He notched up 10 goals and 11 assists connected indebtedness with Girona past season.

Carcel's declaration was renewed past twelvemonth to tally until 2027.

Head manager Michel arrived successful the summertime of 2021 and endeared himself to fans aboriginal connected by learning Catalan.

Riera said that, with the 48-year-old successful place, "it's similar the aforesaid caput moving arsenic a sporting manager and arsenic a manager".

Girona's fearless attacking benignant nether Michel earned praise past season.

Masachs described it with the Catalan phrase, 'viatgem junts', which means 'we question together', explaining that "attacking begins successful the antiaircraft area".

Michel's declaration expires successful 2026, and Riera suggested determination are doubts astir whether the nine volition beryllium capable to clasp connected to him until then.

As different large midweek of European shot rolls around, Riera said: "Playing Champions League whitethorn beryllium the champion that helium thinks helium tin execute here."