The world of football moves at a dizzying speed, causing historic events to become distant memories quickly. Today, however, is a day to look back, as exactly one year ago, on January 29, 2025, Girona concluded its historic and first participation in the Champions League.
The farewell took place at the Montilivi stadium, hosting Arsenal, who secured the victory (1-2) and finished the league phase in third place. This match perfectly summarized Girona's journey: they lost, but competed with their heads held high, just as they had in previous defeats against PSG (1-0), Liverpool (0-1), and at San Siro against Milan (1-0).
There were eight Champions League matches in which the Girona team competed more than the meager haul of three points they managed to achieve suggests.
The total balance was eight matches, with only three points secured thanks to the victory at Montilivi against Slovan Bratislava (2-0), featuring a stunning free-kick goal by Juanpe. This result left Girona in 33rd position out of 36 teams, with the main blemishes being the defeat against the seemingly weaker Sturm Graz (1-0) and the heavy loss against PSV (4-0).
The clash against Arsenal highlighted the squad's exhaustion, forcing Míchel to field a lineup with many absences. In defense, Juanpe and European debutant Antal from Girona B started, while Pau López, with bags packed for Monterrey, was in goal. Despite the difficulties, Girona took the lead with a goal from Danjuma, but a penalty from Arnau converted by Jorginho and a goal from Nwaneri turned the score around before halftime (1-2). A late goal by Stuani was disallowed by VAR.
After closing the European chapter, the team did not find the expected relief. The exhaustion was so severe that the subsequent disconnect was evident, and the following months were lived in anguish while fighting to avoid relegation to the 2nd Division A. Although salvation was achieved, the social management of Montilivi and its season ticket holders remains a contentious issue.
