Girona’s Champions League Adventure: From Dream to Reality

In The Football Newsletter, we love a good underdog story, and few are as captivating as Girona’s rise to the Champions League. After last season’s thrilling La Liga campaign, which saw them finish third behind giants Barcelona and Real Madrid, Girona are now embarking on their first-ever Champions League journey. But like any club taking a step into Europe’s elite competition, they are quickly learning just how steep the climb can be.

From Third Division to Champions League Glory

To truly appreciate Girona’s remarkable rise, you have to go back to the late 1980s when they were playing in Spain’s third division. For long-time fans like Ivan Quiros, who first attended games during those years, the idea of Girona qualifying for the Champions League was unimaginable. Speaking to the BBC, Quiros described it as “an unattainable and impossible dream, made real.”

That dream became a possibility in 2017 when City Football Group (CFG), the same entity behind Manchester City, invested in Girona. CFG’s involvement helped stabilise the club financially and brought a professional structure that transformed their fortunes. Girona were promoted to La Liga for the first time that same year, and just six years later, they finished third in Spain’s top flight, scoring an impressive 85 goals, only two fewer than champions Real Madrid.