SPAIN: Girona FC is a Champions League team. And, for most fans of Los Blanquivermells, it still hasn’t sunk in yet that the biggest clubs from across Europe will be visiting the Estadi Montilivi next season. Not only has the club qualified for Europe for the first time in their 94-year history, but they’ve done so at the highest level of UEFA competition.

By putting on a show in the second half against FC Barcelona on Saturday, defeating their regional neighbors 4-2 for the second time this season, Míchel’s side have achieved an objective that they only set mid-way through the season. Even when they started with six wins and one draw from their first seven matches of the season, the coach kept insisting that the primary objective was avoiding relegation. Only in January did he admit that making it into Europe had become a target too.

After the achievement was confirmed on Saturday, the coach spoke to the media about how much this means to the club, stating: “What we have achieved this year is incredible. It’s historic. It’s a wonderful thing. The project is great. We’ve been able to work and grow day by day. We’ve been working in a calm yet demanding way and with a squad of players who want to grow. That’s how we’ve gone from the second tier to the Champions League, and deservedly so. I hope everyone enjoys it.”

The fans certainly did enjoy it, with 14,000 celebrating the victory in the stands of the Estadi Montilivi and many more taking to the streets of the city center on Saturday night to rejoice on arguably the greatest night in Girona FC’s history.

From LALIGA HYPERMOTION in 2021/22 to the Champions League in 2024/25

As Míchel pointed out during his speech, it wasn’t all that long ago that this was a team in the second division. It was only in 2021/22 that Los Blanquivermells finished sixth in LALIGA HYPERMOTION under Míchel and achieved promotion through the playoffs. Playing an ambitious and direct brand of football, they then took LALIGA EA SPORTS by storm last season before ultimately finishing 10th, matching the club’s previous highest finish in the top tier.

Then, in 2023/24, Girona FC stepped up and reached the next level. The spine of the team remained the same, with the likes of Paulo Gazzaniga, David López, Aleix García, and Yangel Herrera. But, the new additions significantly improved the squad, even at a low cost.

In central defense, the veteran Daley Blind arrived on a free transfer to bring his experience to the back line, while Eric García arrived on loan from FC Barcelona to add another skilled passer at the back.

In midfield, the low-cost signings of Iván Martín and Portu proved to be extremely astute, as both players could play in several different positions in the middle and could get forward in attack, with Martín scoring five goals and Portu seven, including two in the win against Barça. 

Then, there was the arrival of Artem Dovbyk, arguably the best transfer in all of LALIGA EA SPORTS last summer when looking at value for money. The Ukrainian striker has reached 20 goals and is the division’s top scorer, and has made everyone forget about the departure of Taty Castellanos, the Catalan side’s top scorer last season. With the Brazilian winger Sávio also coming in last summer, scoring eight goals and assisting nine alongside Dovbyk in attack, Girona FC’s summer 2023 recruitment was something special, and sporting director Quique Cárcel deserves every bit of praise.

Coach Míchel also deserves to bask in the glory of this masterpiece, as he has not only built a successful team but he has built an entertaining one too. Girona FC is scoring 2.15 goals per game this season and always plays on the front foot. This hasn’t been achieved by any sort of rigid system, as Míchel has used many different formations throughout the season, from a 4-1-4-1 to a 4-2-3-1 to a 3-4-3. Even with Girona FC having suffered many injuries along the way, the tactician has been flexible and has adapted, always finding solutions and achieving positive results.

At home, they’ve been particularly impressive and have won 14, drawn two, and lost one from their 17 games so far at the Estadi Montilivi, scoring 46 goals too, which is the most of any home side in the competition. The Girona FC faithful have had a lot to cheer about, then, and the biggest cheers of all came at full-time on Saturday when this modest club became a Champions League team for the first time.

The post Girona FC’s Historic Champions League Qualification: What It Means For The Club appeared first on NRI News.

• See how the battle to qualify for next season’s UEFA competitions is shaping up.
• There are now just five matchdays remaining in LALIGA EA SPORTS this season and there is so much still to play for. Several clubs are currently taking part in the race to qualify for the 2024/25 UEFA competitions and the battle is ever so tight.
• Here comes a summary of how each of the clubs in this contest are performing, from fourth-placed Atlético de Madrid down to ninth-placed Villarreal CF.

Atlético de Madrid (4th, 64 points)

Atlético de Madrid have mathematically confirmed their place in Europe for next season, but Diego Simeone hopes that the competition Los Colchoneros qualify for is the Champions League, as making it into UEFA’s elite competition is the primary objective at the Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano each season. A 3-1 victory over fifth-placed Athletic Club in Matchday 33 was important, but there are still five matchdays remaining.

Remaining fixtures: RCD Mallorca (A), RC Celta (H), Getafe CF (A), CA Osasuna (H), Real Sociedad (A)

Athletic Club (5th, 58 points)

Athletic Club have already guaranteed European football for next season, given that they are the champions of the Copa del Rey. They’ll play on the continent for the first time since 2018 and will play the Europa League at a minimum. However, Ernesto Valverde’s side still hopes to add Champions League qualification to what has been a very special season so far.

Remaining fixtures: Getafe CF (A), CA Osasuna (H), RC Celta (A), Sevilla FC (H), Rayo Vallecano (A)

Real Sociedad (6th, 51 points)

As things stand, Real Sociedad would qualify for the Europa League as the sixth-placed team in LALIGA EA SPORTS. After finishing fourth last term and then enjoying a memorable Champions League campaign, in which they won their group and reached the last 16, they’d love to play in UEFA’s top competition again but are currently 13 points off fourth. Their priority may well be holding on to sixth place. If they look over their shoulders, they’ll see that Real Betis sit just two points behind in the final Conference League spot.

Remaining fixtures: UD Las Palmas (H), FC Barcelona (A), Valencia CF (H), Real Betis (A), Atlético de Madrid (H)

Real Betis (7th, 49 points)

Under Manuel Pellegrini, Real Betis have qualified for Europe in each of the past three seasons. Never before had the club made it to UEFA competition for three seasons in a row and now they’re aiming to extend that record to four consecutive seasons. In Matchday 32, an Ayoze Pérez-inspired 2-1 victory away at Valencia CF allowed Los Verdiblancos to leapfrog Los Che and move into seventh place, which is the final European spot, granting access to the Conference League. A draw in ELGRAN DERBI kept Real Betis in seventh, however, Valencia CF are just two points behind and this race for seventh should be a fascinating one.

Remaining fixtures: CA Osasuna (A), UD Almería (H), UD Las Palmas (A), Real Sociedad (H), Real Madrid (A)

Valencia CF (8th, 47 points)

By losing 2-1 to Real Betis and then 4-2 to FC Barcelona, Valencia CF have slipped out of the European spots in recent weeks. Coming up, Rubén Baraja’s charges now have two home games in a row, so will look to get back on track in front of their fans.

Remaining fixtures: Deportivo Alavés (H), Rayo Vallecano (H), Real Sociedad (A), Girona FC (H), RC Celta (A)

Villarreal CF (9th, 45 points)

Just a few weeks ago, it seemed like Villarreal CF was too far behind to stand a chance of qualifying for Europe for a fifth consecutive season. However, they have been in really good form of late. With six wins from their past eight games, they have been the second-most in-form team in that time. Norwegian striker Alexander Sørloth is banging in the goals and the defence of El Submarino Amarillo has improved, so don’t rule out Villarreal CF when it comes to this enthralling European race.

Remaining fixtures: RC Celta (A), Sevilla FC (H), Girona FC (A), Real Madrid (H), CA Osasuna (A)

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MUMBAI: Leading sports broadcaster of India, Sony Sports Network, has extended its collaboration with the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), the governing body of football in Europe. As part of the deal, the broadcaster has acquired the exclusive media rights for all the UEFA National Team competitions scheduled between 2022-2028 and will showcase the UEFA EURO 2024 & 2028, along with its European Qualifiers and Friendly Matches. The UEFA tournaments will be available exclusively on linear television in the Indian subcontinent, including India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Maldives, and Sri Lanka, as well as live-streamed on their on-demand OTT platform SonyLIV.

Sony Sports Network will live telecast UEFA EURO 2024, one of the biggest international football tournaments featuring all the top national teams from Europe. The much-anticipated marquee tournament starts on 14th June 2024 and will be hosted in Germany, with the Final scheduled on 14th July in Berlin’s Olympiastadion. To qualify for UEFA EURO 2024, the teams must go through the European Qualifiers which will take place from March 2023 until March 2024 with the Play-Offs. The qualifiers will be played between 53 teams across ten groups in the round-robin format and will also be live telecast on Sony Sports Network.

Sony Sports Network will also broadcast all the matches of the UEFA Nations League. The final act of the competition, the UEFA Nations League Finals 2023 will go underway from 14th June 2023 between Netherlands, Croatia, Spain, and Italy.

As part of the six-year deal, the broadcaster will showcase over 1300 football matches across its channels. The network will televise the 2024 & 2028 European Qualifiers and the upcoming two editions of the UEFA EUROs. Additionally, football fans will witness all the games of the UEFA Nations League 2024 & 2026, as well as the UEFA Nations League Finals in 2025 & 2027. In addition to this, Sony Sports Network continues to be the official broadcaster for the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Europa Conference League, Bundesliga, Emirates FA Cup, and more.

Rajesh Kaul, Chief Revenue Officer – Distribution & International Business and Head – Sports Business, Sony Pictures Networks India:

“We’re thrilled to announce that Sony Sports Network has extended its partnership with UEFA and secured the rights to the UEFA EURO 2024 and 2028 editions, further cementing our commitment to delivering premium quality football on a massive scale. With the acquisition of exclusive television and digital rights in the Indian sub-continent, we’re excited to bring the tournament to viewers in multiple languages, ensuring that fans can experience the thrill of one of the biggest events in football. UEFA commands some of the most premium football properties, and this association expands our football portfolio with an additional 1300 football matches making us the premier destination for European football in India.

There is a high attraction for the marquee UEFA EURO tournament, featuring the top European footballing nations, both with advertisers and viewers in India. And this was evident in the successful broadcast of UEFA EURO 2020 on Sony Sports Network in which the viewership impressions were more than triple of UEFA EURO 2016 along with over 65 brands that associated with our network for the prestigious tournament across our linear and digital platforms.”

Guy-Laurent Epstein, Director of Marketing, UEFA:

“We are very pleased to continue our partnership with Sony Sports Network as the home of UEFA National Team Football in the Indian subcontinent until 2028. Fans in the region will be offered extensive and excellent coverage of UEFA’s European National Team Football portfolio which includes the European Qualifiers, UEFA Nations League, UEFA EURO 2024, and UEFA EURO 2028, with all matches broadcast on linear television and the digital platform SonyLIV.”

The post Sony Sports Network extends its partnership with UEFA and acquires the exclusive media rights for TV and digital to Europe’s biggest football tournament UEFA EURO 2024 and UEFA EURO 2028 appeared first on NRI News.