Girona perhaps experienced the greatest evening in its history yesterday. Despite an untenable Alvaro Morata and author of a hat-trick, the Catalan club never gave up, and, after leading 1-0 then 3-1, ended up winning in added time 4-3 against the Atlético de Madrid. It’s more than a victory, not only because it allows the Colchoneros to be relegated to ten points behind, like FC Barcelona, but also to maintain the standoff with Real Madrid, co-leader of this Liga. Few people saw it coming at the start of the season, even less at mid-championship.
From now on, it is a virtual certainty, Girona will play in the Champions League next year. It remains to be seen where the Blanquivermells will finish this season. It will also depend on this winter transfer window because that is the lot of nice surprises. They are often victims of their success. For several weeks now, rumors have been reporting interest here and there for players from the team led by Michel. The Spanish coach is also cited to be hired elsewhere. Mundo Deportivo even claimed that OL would have offered him the job.
Michel has an exit voucher, not the players
This information hardly appears credible given the sporting situation of the two clubs. What is much less obvious, however, is that Michel will have his exit voucher according to Pere Guardiola, the co-owner. “He is the master of his future. He deserved it. I assure you that if he has an offer from Bayern Munich and he has a contract with Girona, I will take him by car to Munich.insists the brother of the Manchester City coach in an interview with Relevo this Thursday. As for the players, however, Girona puts up the barbed wire.
Courted by Chelsea for example, who would be motivated to drop €45 million on him, Artem Dovbyk (26 years old, 11 goals and 5 assists in 18 La Liga appearances) is not going anywhere. Same thing for Aleix Vidal (26 years old, 19 games, 3 goals and 4 assists in the league), who has already declared his love for FC Barcelona. This is good, it is precisely the big neighboring club that would like to get him back, especially since the release clause for the new Spanish international does not seem very high. “The locker room is not a supermarketassures Guardiola. We don’t have offers for anyone.”
Father Guardiola: “we have no intention of selling to anyone”
He pursues. “Not for Aleix from Barça, not for Dovbyk from Chelsea, not for anyone. And we have no intention of selling to anyone either. The fact is that journalists really like the transfer window. Look, the truth is we have a good team. Obviously, and this is normal, things happen eventually. People notice it because we do things well”explains the Catalan leader, who does not fear finding himself in the same situation as with Oriol Romeu last summer, who left for Barça.
“The situation was difficult to manage. (…) We didn’t want him to leave, but these are things that happen in football”he regrets before warning that it will not happen again this winter with Aleix. “No, we don’t want to. It’s not our idea. What we want is for little or nothing to happen in January.” It doesn’t all depend on Girona either. Manchester City, for example, has a say on Savinho, who belongs to Troyes and the City Group, while Real Madrid has a preferential purchase option for Miguel Gutiérrez… Guardiola may tremble.
