COLUMN: Girona’s return to form is not by chance – Football España

Last season, Girona were in danger of relegation as the team struggled to cope with numerous losses, headlined by Savinho and Artem Dovbyk. Manager Michel Sanchez looked desperate as he searched for a new recipe, his team locked to the bottom of the table at the start of the season. So where did the coach find his ingredients this time?

Michel emphasized for months that his team could not continue relying on individual brilliance, and instead came up with a collective formula. Azzedine Ounahi became Girona’s magnet, adding intention to counter-attacks, transforming them from a cardio exercise. The Moroccan combines verticality with purpose, while his technical quality makes him a difficult player to defend against one-on-one. One of Girona’s few calm players, accelerating or slowing the team’s tempo down depending on the needs, Michel has missed a presence like Ounahi since Aleix Garcia left for Bayern Leverkusen, and for the modest price of €6m.

When in doubt, always sign a Ukrainian. Vladyslav Vanat is another signing that came with immediate impact. He has already registered eight goals in La Liga, and looks best combined with Viktor Tsygankov and Ounahi. Vanat, unlike other strikers, has few attempts; he prefers to calculate his shots, his goals coming when they are most needed. Scoring against Osasuna and Mallorca in the closing minutes, he was the difference between a draw and a victory. His confidence has gradually grown, leading him to an assist against Barcelona in the Catalan derby.  

🎯 Segueix sumant gols!#AlavésGirona #laligahighlights pic.twitter.com/6tiflKjNxn

— Girona FC (@GironaFC) February 24, 2026

All goals are in vain if the defence concedes twice as many. For Michel, this was one of the key takeaways early in the season. Victories are dictated by the state of the backline, where a lack of discipline often handicapped Girona. Michel’s team have conceded 37 goals, the most of any team in La Liga’s top half. Yet Girona are increasingly creating more chances than their opponent, even in their draw against Alaves (2-2). It’s the only match in the last five in which Girona conceded more than once, signalling a more compact defence, which was often being dismantled by counter-attacks. With Daley Blind staying back while Vitor Reis covers more ground, the central spine has looked organised again.

More importantly, the victory against Barcelona gave the team the confidence needed to continue building up through the centre of the pitch under presure, where Girona have always been more precise in counter-attacks. Michel remains aware that his team cannot afford any complacency, even if they have climbed to 11th in La Liga.

Defeat used to feel predictable as Girona repeatedly folded in seemingly comfortable situations, a physical issue, but more down to mental mistakes. There was a sense of destiny leading to conceding game after game, which demoralised the team. This seems to be gone for now, which has been Michel’s greatest achievement of the season so far. The attack used to run faster, faster than most defenders could run. The result? They wouldn’t defend, and the attack didn’t look much better. Even in tense matches, they have learned to pause, thanks to the experience of Axel Witsel, and Ounahi’s magnet-like superpower.

While the team evolved, so did Michel. Last season his naivety led him to believe his attack could be expected to make up for the defensive issues, ignoring that he didn’t have the players to unpick opponents. He learned from it, increasingly implementing mid-game changes by alternating the amount of defenders in the backline depending on his team’s weaknesses. His style of play was fluid, but his coaching style was rigid, refusing to adapt and running into to the same brick wall.  

🤹‍♀️ When two magicians come together…#GironaAlavés #LALIGAHighlights

pic.twitter.com/JwmYlmdhNp

— Girona FC (@GironaFC_Engl) February 24, 2026

As his prowess in the final third becomes evident, Ounahi, who has the keys to the flow of the game, has been instructed to play higher (or lower) depending on how the team were dealing with the opponents’ pressing scheme. Wherever he goes, he ends up breaking the deadlock which Girona were often struggling with. Girona don’t play in black-and-white principles anymore, opting for a more balanced approach where they don’t overstretch as much as they used to.

The difference between the current Girona (11th) and the one that struggled to remain in La Liga isn’t within the signings. There aren’t many, though both Ounahi and Vanat are the result of smart scouting. The changes concern the mentality of Michel as much as that of his players. It meant giving up ideals, what ‘used to work’, and adopting a more pragmatic approach. If Girona want to climb higher, Ounahi’s magnet can draw them up the table.