Exclusive: ‘Michel’ Miguel Ángel Sánchez Muñoz talks role at Girona

On Saturday, Girona produced a valiant effort against Manchester City, and despite coming up second best, manager, ‘Michel’ Miguel Ángel Sánchez Muñoz, has positive hopes for the club.

At the peak of his powers, the sublimely-gifted Spaniard mesmerised Rayo Vallecano fans with his electric pace and ability on the ball.

The left-winger, who possessed incredible vision, used to leave defenders in the dust as he burst down the line, before exploding into the box.

Therefore, it comes as no surprise that he’s tried to implement that attacking mindset into his squad.

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Upon his arrival at the Estadi Montilivi Stadium, the gaffer made it his mission to inject a never say die attitude into his players.

And from their results on the pitch, it looks to have paid dividends. Through his coaching, the Catalan side secured a place in La Liga via the play-off route with victories over Eibar and Tenerife.

However, while bagging a place in the top flight of Spanish football is hard, remaining in the division is even tougher, as showcased by the club’s start to the campaign.

The ‘Blanquivermells’ lost six of their first ten games. But in a testament to their powers of self-belief, the squad have bounced back with an incredible run. Under the guidance of Michel, the lads have put together an unbeaten run of five games, including an upset draw against Real Madrid.

And with momentum on their side, the coach expects a big finish to the season.

‘Michel’ Miguel Ángel Sánchez Muñoz explains Girona goals for the season

On December 17, Girona travelled to Manchester to take on the Premier League Champions and produced an impressive performance.

After conceding two early goals, courtesy of Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland, the Spaniards switched into gear.

Thanks to several tactical changes from the manager, the underdog side grew into the game and started to create chances.

New signing, Oriol Romeu, dominated the midfield area, unleashing a series of long-range passes, leading to multiple opportunities.

But alas, despite hitting the woodwork twice, Girona failed to beat the keeper. But as he often has in the past, the manager revealed that he’ll use the loss as a learning experience.

He told SPORF: “It was useful for us because we faced a big club and had some chances. It was useful preparation for the rest of La Liga.”

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After his side’s slow start to the season, he’s confident that the club has hit form at the right time.

The manager claimed: “We started slowly. But we’ve found our pace and rhythm, and now we’re going to keep going in the same way now the World Cup is over.”

With a population of just 100,000 and a stadium capacity of 11,810, Girona have developed a reputation as Spain’s peripheral underdog.

Despite the odds, they’ve proven that they’re always capable of exceeding expectations. But while Michel’s optimistic of a successful season, he’s remaining level added.

The boss confessed: “We are ambitious, but we are realistic as well. First, we must ensure we stay in the division, then we can look up.”

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With an ever-improving squad and the backing of Manchester City, it doesn’t look like Girona’s progress is going to come to a halt anytime soon.

The Spanish side will return to action on December 22, in a second-round Copa Del Rey fixture against Cacereño. And with a win, Michel’s men will start to believe that they can put together a fairy-tale run.

Read: Dana White calls football the ‘least talented sport on Earth’ (sporf.com)

Featured Image Credit: James Sweetnam

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