Girona is celebrating, and so is their coach Míchel. In two years, the Girona club has gone from being in the Second Division to mathematically qualifying for the Champions League next season and being second in the League, after Madrid. All since Míchel’s arrival at Montilivi, who, beyond his sporting successes, has also become a popular figure for his commitment to Catalan.
In an interview in El Món with RAC1 with Jordi Basté, which the Madrid coach did entirely in Catalan, he assures that it was clear to him from the beginning: “I had to be very clear from the first day that I had to learn Catalan, because of how they have taught me educated my parents and the way we are in Vallecas.”
“You have to learn the culture and traditions of the place where you are. I’m a better person now than I was three years ago, for sure. I have no doubt that it is better to speak Catalan in a place where everyone speaks it. It’s very difficult for me to see what could be wrong with it, even though some people don’t agree,” says Míchel.
Although he admits the difficulty of speaking a language that is not his mother tongue, he has no regrets: “As a coach, it is difficult to express your feelings at a press conference in a language that you do not control. But I’d rather screw up than not.”
In the sporting field, Míchel is clear that he wants the Champions League to be played in Montilivi, even if the stadium does not have the capacity to accommodate all the fans: “The Champions League has to be played in Montilivi. It’s a shame that maybe there are people who couldn’t enter the stadium, but we need to play and listen to the Champions League anthem in our home. The club is doing everything possible.”
Furthermore, the Girona coach has closed any debate about his continuity at the club: “Next season I will continue to be Girona’s coach for sure. To 100%”. He has also assured that they are already working on next year’s squad and trusts that Artem Dovbyk and Víktor Tsygankov can continue, because they have a contract.
Retrieve Jordi Basté’s interview with Girona coach Míchel, on El Món on RAC1:
