Football Season Guide

For the first time ever, Girona will play in La Liga. By finishing second in the second division last season, the Catalan club became the 62nd side to make it to the top flight of Spanish football and they have ambitious plans. The club was taken over by City Football Group, the same holding company which owns Manchester City. As such, a number of the English side's young prospects have been loaned to Girona for their La Liga challenge which could prove very advantageous. Pablo Maffeo, for example, is predicted by many to be Man City's right-back in a few years,so for Girona to have him in their squad is a major boost. Or take Aleix Garcia, Douglas Luiz and Marlos Moreno - three midfield talents aged 20 or younger who will be bringing their skills to the Estadi Montilivi. This will surely be an advantage for coach Pablo Machin as he prepares for his first ever season in the top division of Spanish football, having only ever previously coached second-tier Numancia and then Girona for the past four years. He may not be experienced in La Liga football but he has been in charge at Girona for a significant length of time and he does, therefore, have an excellent relationship with the spine of this squad who have been here during this several-seasons-long push for promotion. It is also true that a number of players have departed during the summer months, with the club, the players or both aware that this step up could be too great for them. They've been replaced by a number of loan arrivals and Colombian centre-back, Bernardo Espinosa was the only player brought in for a transfer fee. It will be interesting to see if this squad gels but if it does, then Girona certainly have enough talent on their books to make a strong case for staying up.