Girona FC
Blanquivermells · Girona, Catalonia
The most extreme proof of concept for data-led recruitment in Spanish football.
The club
Founded on 23 July 1930 and playing at a 14,624-capacity ground. Girona went from the fourth tier in 2008 to third in LaLiga in 2023–24, qualifying for the Champions League for the first time. City Football Group and Pere Guardiola's Girona Football Group each hold about 44% of the club. Míchel's side built the most ambitious positional structure in the league outside Barcelona before dropping out of the top flight in 2026.
Things worth knowing
- Reached the Champions League from the fourth tier in sixteen years.
- Beat Barcelona 4–2 in May 2024 to secure Champions League qualification.
- Co-ownership by City Football Group makes them the clearest Spanish test case for multi-club regulation.