Quique Cárcel: "What I ask for this season is humility and unity"

Girona FC wanted to present its economic and sporting situation this Monday in a joint press conference held by the general director, Ignasi Mas-Bagà, and the sporting director, Quique Cárcel. Both officials conveyed a message of confidence in the project and explained the reasons behind the decisions made during the last transfer market, emphasizing the desire to maintain the club's stability and competitiveness in the First Division.

Ignasi Mas-Bagà highlighted the importance of economic management as a cornerstone of the project. The Club's general director reviewed the budget structure and its evolution in recent years to demonstrate that the profits are being reinvested in the squad. “Our shareholders have reinvested the revenues on the pitch. To reduce the risk of relegation, this commitment has been made. The current salary cap is 75 million, but there is a three-year plan monitored by La Liga,” he explained. The general director emphasized that Girona is currently the tenth club in the category in terms of salary cap, with room to continue strengthening if necessary. “We have improved by three positions compared to two seasons ago.”

Ignasi Mas-Bagà: “The shareholders want to reinvest the profits in the squad to reduce the risk of relegation to Segunda”

Regarding the sports field, Quique Cárcel acknowledged that the start of the season has not been as expected, but he expressed confidence in the team's reaction. “Obviously, I am not at all happy with how things have gone at the start, especially in the first three games. The team has improved, and I think this will continue. The goal is to get out of the bottom as soon as possible, and we will do it,” he stated.

The sporting director highlighted the work of the coaching staff and the involvement of the locker room, defending the decision to build a shorter but more balanced squad. “I feel that with shorter squads, like this year's, we will do better. Last year we had players who didn’t play and disconnected. Now everyone is important,” he argued. Cárcel also admitted the emotional burden that comes with his responsibility after twelve years at the club but recalled the value of the journey taken.

Quique Cárcel: “We are living glorious years but with great demands. Being in the First Division is a dream. Having the tenth budget, a privilege”

Regarding market planning, Cárcel explained that the need to generate income and various unforeseen events conditioned the operations. “I knew it would be a complicated year. We had to make 15 million in sales. Some operations, like Miguel’s, were delayed due to his injury, and the agreements with City also came late. Everything moved at the end,” he detailed. The sporting director acknowledged that there were departures that were not in the plans, such as those of Krejci and Yangel Herrera. “We didn’t want to sell Krejci, but a good offer came in. Yangel asked to leave because he didn’t feel happy. All of this disrupted the market and penalized us in the first games,” he said.

Despite the difficulties, Cárcel expressed full confidence in the squad and coach Míchel Sánchez. “With Míchel, there is an incredible connection. He is my favorite coach and has the full support of the club. He has enormous growth potential, and I would like him to continue,” he declared.

Quique Cárcel: “Míchel is my favorite coach, he has my full support, and I would like him to continue”

He also addressed the movements in the goalkeeping position following Juan Carlos's injury: “We didn’t have to make any moves, but his injury forced us to. The option of Livakovic came up, and we didn’t hesitate. He doesn’t come with a guaranteed spot; here, everyone has to earn their place.”

Cárcel insisted on the need to face the season with humility and unity. “We are Girona, and we must take advantage of the versatility of the players. Everyone feels more important this way. What I ask for this season is unity. Of course, we want to look upward, but we all have to row in the same direction,” he stated.

Quique Cárcel also wanted to highlight the role of the fans in this new stage and emphasized the social and institutional growth of the club. “We have amazing fans. Kids wear Girona jerseys, and we are working on a new stadium. We have experienced extraordinary years, and people have gotten used to it, but we will reconnect with them through effort and results,” he concluded.