Girona Futbol Club, S.A.D. is a professional football club based in Girona, Catalonia, Spain. Founded on 23 July 1930, it plays in La Liga, to which they gained promotion in the 2022 Segunda División play-offs.

Girona

Full name	Girona Futbol Club, S.A.D.
Nickname(s)	Blanquivermells (White and Reds), Gironistes
Founded	23 July 1930; 92 years ago (1930-07-23)
Ground	Estadi Montilivi
Capacity	11,810[1]
Owner	City Football Group (47%) Marcelo Claure (35%) Girona Football Group (16%) Others (1–2%)[2]
President	Delfí Geli
Head coach	Míchel
League	La Liga
2021–22	Segunda División, 6th of 22 (promoted via play-offs)
Website	Club website
Home colours Away colours Third colours
Current season

Girona holds its home matches at the 11,810-capacity Estadi Montilivi. The club also has youth and amateur women's teams for competition.

History

Football became of a particular interest in Girona at the beginning of the 20th century. The first major club in the city was Strong Esport (founded in 1902 under original name of FC Gerundense).[3] In the 1920s in Girona there were two new clubs, CE Gironí and UD Girona. After the disappearance of the UD Girona it was decided to create a new football team in the city.[4]

On 23 July 1930, in the café Norat in La Rambla of Girona, Girona Futbol Club was founded upon the dissolution of Unió Esportiva Girona for economic reasons. On 1 August 1930 the city council authorized the club so that it could use the city's emblem on its badges. It was achieved thanks to the efforts of enthusiasts led by the club's first president Albert de Quintana de León.[4] The team subsequently entered in the second division of the Catalan Championships. Its first official match was against Colònia Artigas with the lineup: Florenza, Teixidor, Farró, Flavià, Comas, Corradi, Ferrer, Escuder, Clara, Torrellas and Taradellas.

1935–36 was the first season Girona played in Segunda División, and the club finished in top position in its group, subsequently appearing in the playoff stage against Celta de Vigo, Real Zaragoza, Arenas Club, Real Murcia and Xerez, but finishing second from bottom, thus out of the La Liga promotion zone.

After the Spanish Civil War, the club fluctuated between the second level and Tercera División, falling into the latter category in 1959 and being further demoted in 1980 – Segunda División B was created as the new division three in 1977, and the club lasted three years in the competition. In 1968, construction of the Estadi Montilivi began, with home matches being held there on a permanent basis from 1970 onwards after nearly five decades at the Vista Alegre stadium.

In the following decades, Girona alternated between the third and the fourth divisions, even spending three seasons in the regional championships, in 1982–83 and 1997–99.[5] On 16 June 2008, after defeating Ceuta 1–0 in the play-offs, the Raül Agné-led side achieved a second consecutive promotion, returning to the second tier after a 49-year absence.[6][7]

On 22 July 2010, a group of local businessmen led by Ramon Vilaró, Joaquim Boadas and Josep Slim purchased 72% of the club's shares, previously held by former club president Josep Gusó and Josep Rofes, thus becoming the new owners of Girona. Vilaró was elected the new president while Agné, after a spell with Recreativo de Huelva, returned as manager for the upcoming second division campaign, lasting in the position until 14 January 2012 when he was sacked following a 0–3 loss at Recreativo.[8]

In 2011, Girona created a reserve team, having previously grown a natural grass pitch in Palau.[9] On 9 May 2013, the club's board of directors, under the slogan "El Girona FC també és meu" ("Girona FC is mine too"), approved an increase of the club's capital in €300,000 to be distributed in €10 shares, aiming to balance its estate.[10]

On the last matchday of the 2014–15 season, Girona needed to beat Lugo at home to earn promotion to La Liga, but were denied by a last-minute goal by the visitors. Girona had to settle for a play-off place, but were eliminated in the semi-finals by Real Zaragoza, despite winning the first leg 3–0. The next season, they reached the play-off final but were defeated by Osasuna. Girona finally earned promotion to La Liga after the 2016–17 season as they finished runners-up to Levante. This was the first time that Girona had ever been promoted to La Liga in their 87-year history.[11]

On 23 August 2017, it was announced City Football Group (CFG) had purchased 44.3% ownership in Girona. Another 44.3% was held by Girona Football Group, led by Pere Guardiola, the brother of CFG-owned Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola.[12] On 29 October 2017, Girona recorded a memorable victory defeating reigning European Cup winners Real Madrid 2–1.[13][14]

In July 2018 it was announced that Girona FC would be participating in their first ever Pre-Season international tournament held in India by Nippon Toyota. Girona FC faced the Indian team Kerala Blasters and the Australian Team Melbourne City FC.

On the last match day of the 2018–19 La Liga season, Girona were relegated to Segunda Division, ending their two-year spell in the Spanish top tier.

Training centre

The club's new training facilities are under construction since December 2017,[15] located at the PGA Catalunya Golf Course complex to the south of Girona. Occupying an area of 20,000 m² (220,000 sq ft), the new complex will serve as the exclusive training centre of the club for the next 3+1⁄2 years. It will be home to a 110 m × 72 m (361 ft × 236 ft) training pitch of hybrid grass as well as a 160 m × 72 m (525 ft × 236 ft) pitch of natural grass, in addition to indoor training facilities.[16]

Season to season

• 3 seasons in La Liga
• 24 seasons in Segunda División
• 13 seasons in Segunda División B
• 44 seasons in Tercera División
• 3 seasons in Categorías Regionales

Players

First team squad

As of 1 September 2022.[17]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK  ESP Juan Carlos 2 DF  COL Bernardo Espinosa 3 DF  ESP Miguel Gutiérrez 4 DF  ESP Arnau Martínez 5 DF  ESP David López 6 MF  MLI Ibrahima Kebe 7 FW  URU Cristhian Stuani (captain) 8 MF  ESP Ramon Terrats 9 FW  ARG Valentín Castellanos (on loan from New York City FC) 10 MF  ESP Samuel Sáiz 11 FW  ESP Valery Fernández 12 MF  ESP Toni Villa 13 GK  ARG Paulo Gazzaniga (on loan from Fulham)

No. Pos. Nation Player 14 MF  ESP Aleix García 15 DF  ESP Juanpe (vice-captain) 16 DF  ESP Javi Hernández (on loan from Leganés) 17 FW  ESP Rodrigo Riquelme (on loan from Atlético Madrid) 18 MF  ESP Oriol Romeu 19 MF  BRA Reinier (on loan from Real Madrid) 20 DF  BRA Yan Couto (on loan from Manchester City) 21 MF  VEN Yangel Herrera (on loan from Manchester City) 22 DF  URU Santiago Bueno 23 MF  ESP Iván Martín (on loan from Villarreal) 24 MF  ESP Borja García 25 FW  ESP Manu Vallejo 26 GK  ESP Toni Fuidias

Reserve team

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 30 GK  ESP Lluc Matas 32 FW  ESP Oscar Ureña 33 FW  ESP Joel Roca

No. Pos. Nation Player 34 DF  ESP Biel Farrés 36 MF  ESP Ricard Artero

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player — DF  ESP Eric Monjonell (at Lommel until 30 June 2023) — MF  ESP Álex Sala (at Sabadell until 30 June 2023) — MF  ESP Pau Víctor (at Sabadell until 30 June 2023)

No. Pos. Nation Player — FW  ESP Arnau Ortiz (at Murcia until 30 June 2023) — FW  ESP Gabri Martínez (at San Fernando until 30 June 2023) — FW  MAR Ilyas Chaira (at San Fernando until 30 June 2023)

Club officials

Current technical staff

Position	Staff
Head coach	Míchel
Assistant coach	Salva Fúnez
Fitness coach	David Porcel
Goalkeeping coach	Juan Carlos Balaguer

Board of directors

Coaches

Honours

National

• Segunda Division B
  • Winners (1): 2007–08

• Tercera Division
  • Winners (5): 1933–34, 1947–48, 1954–55, 1988–89, 2005–06

Regional titles

• Supercopa de Catalunya
  • Winners (1): 2019

See also

• CF Peralada-Girona B
• Girona FC B
• CF Riudellots

References

External links

• Official website (in Catalan and Spanish)
• BDFutbol team profile

На других языках

[de] FC Girona

[es] Girona Fútbol Club

[ru] Жирона (футбольный клуб)