This was Girona’s first ever season in the Spanish top flight and they exceeded expectations by finishing 10th.
Their campaign got off to a great start as they held Atletico Madrid to a 2-2 draw in their opening match, before they also defeated Malaga 2-0.
Although they had a six-match winless run after that as they tried to find their feet in the new division, they eventually perfected their 3-4-2-1 formation, one which few opponents were able to get their heads around, and they started to accumulate points.
A run of six home wins and home clean sheets in a row from December to March then propelled Girona into Europa League qualification contention, before a late season slump meant they’d have to settle for 10th.
This was a very impressive season for Girona overall and they were a well-rounded team, as they defended well with their back three that could become a back five when necessary, while up front they had the excellent Cristhian Stuani, who scored a total of 21 goals, many of them in the air as Girona found success at set pieces and with crosses into the box.
Girona will now hope to keep coach Pablo Machin, which could be difficult as there will surely be bigger clubs interested in his services.
As for their squad, they’ll lose a lot of the players who were at the club on loan from partner club Manchester City, although in truth the only one of these players who they’ll really miss is right-wing-back Pablo Maffeo. The other loanees were generally fringe players.
