L-R: Raimon Nadal, his son Jan and Joaquim Nadal Farreras.
Photo Credits: Raimon Nadal
Girona is steeped in history — but not the footballing kind. However, that could change in the months to come. The city that served as a filming location for Game of Thrones is now experiencing one of La Liga’s most incredible campaigns.
The Nadal family has watched the club from its days of struggle in the lower divisions of Spanish football to its recent highs in La Liga. Girona FC has been on a stellar run under Míchel Sanchez in the 2023/24 campaign, contending for a top spot among traditional giants Real Madrid and FC Barcelona.
“It feels unexpected and surprising,” said 18-year-old Jan Nadal, who hails from Girona, a city dotted with historical monuments and mediaeval walls that witnessed several conquerors seize the province. “Two seasons ago, we were in the Second Division, fighting to not get relegated to the Third.
“We’ve done everything with the same manager, so it’s been surprising and amazing,” he adds with a glimmer of excitement in his eyes.
His father, Raimon, the founder of Penya Pere Pons, an official supporters’ club of Girona FC, is even more buoyant about the club’s surreal performances. “For me, it’s even more special because of my generation. I’m from 1976, and he [Jan] is from 2005, so he is born with the new era of the club,” he says. “He doesn’t know about the past, but I know; we were even worse, so for me, it is even more unexpected. It’s just incredible!
“We were like an amateur club [in the 90s and 00s], less than 100 people in the stadium, and players didn’t get paid. These kinds of things make it even more special.”
But Raimon confessed that the moment was distinctively extraordinary for his 75-year-old dad, Joaquim Nadal Farreras, who witnessed the team that was formed in 1930 play at the Vista Alegre Stadium, the club’s previous home ground. Joaquim is a local politician and a member of the advisory board of Girona FC.
Míchel’s masterclass
Girona’s success has been credited to the manager, fondly known as Míchel, who took over the reins in 2021. The 48-year-old likes to build up play from the back, a style synonymous with Pep Guardiola, whose brother Pere is part-owner and chairman of Girona FC.
Competing with the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona is a Herculean task, especially when both clubs are financially superior to Girona. However, the club’s team spirit has been a driving catalyst for their success. “It is not all about money; it’s a team sport,” says Raimon. “The team works all together, and that’s one of the good jobs that our manager is doing.”
Raimon also has the pleasure of knowing the manager personally. Once a week, he will play padel with the Girona gaffer, a sport similar to tennis which is very popular in Spain. “For him, it’s a good way to disconnect from football,” Raimon says.
‘Entering a new dimension’
Girona’s impressive run in the first half of the season not only raised a few eyebrows but sparked scepticism too. Would the club be able to sustain a genuine title charge?
Before the Barcelona encounter at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, Girona had dropped points on only three occasions: draws with Real Betis and Athletic Bilbao, and a loss to Real Madrid.
There were concerns about whether Girona would be able to bag important points against sides that compete for European spots. But on December 10, 2023, the White and Reds astonished the world after silencing their Catalonian counterparts with an emphatic 4-2 victory.
“As the coach said, if we beat Barcelona, we enter another dimension. That was what was missing in the team, beating a top-four or top-six club, but we did it!” Jan says.
Record attendances, changing allegiances
Girona’s on-field success has had a profound impact on the community. The city, which had citizens rooting for Barcelona in the near past, is now proudly donning the club’s white and red colours.
“More people are wearing the shirts in the streets and there are many more people in the stadium,” Jan says. “In the Second Division, two years ago, the average (attendance) was around 6,000 people in the stadium, except in the playoff matches where it was full.
“And even more years ago, as my father said, there were 100 or 500 people in the stadium, and we could walk all around the stadium and change our positions when there was a penalty or something.” His father chips in: “The people used to be FC Barcelona fans, some even Real Madrid, even though we’re in Catalonia. It was very divided.”
“I’m also an FC Barcelona fan; of course, Girona is always first, it is my city, I love it, and I am very happy, but I have my feelings about FC Barcelona as well. I have friends who support Real Madrid, but now we’re separating our feelings. We’re focusing on Girona.
“It is a thing that creates a connection with our families, our sons,” he says, pointing to Jan. “You can see that in the stadium and the city.”
A tough second half
As Girona heads towards a critical phase of the season, Raimon suggests that the team will have it much harder in the second half. “Two reasons for that. One,” he says, pointing to his eye, “is because, of course, all the teams now will worry about us. And the other one is because even if we are playing very good football, we have to realise that we have won a few games that we didn’t start losing, so it’s not going to always be like that.”
Eyeing Europe
The father and son duo are not getting too carried away about being crowned La Liga champions. They are realistic about the club’s prospects. “We hope to finish in the top-four,” says Jan. “Champions League. That would be more than enough.”
“We will celebrate (a top-four finish) the same way we did when we were promoted to the Spanish First Division. I will probably take a swim in the Onyar River and do some fireworks,” says Raimon with a laugh.
