Girona manager Michel Sanchez has admitted that Oriol Romeu is a major loss for his side, but equally declared that he was happy for the veteran midfielder.
Romeu’s move to Barcelona was confirmed on Wednesday morning, after which he trained with his new teammates and then flew to Los Angeles as they begin their preseason tour.
Speaking to MD, Michel was clear that while Romeu was a loss, it would not impact their identity.
“It’s a shame for us. I am very happy for him because when a person as spectacular as he is, who has given us so much and has made me better as a coach, you can only be happy. It’s a dream for him and I hope the season goes great for him. For us it is a very important loss, but the team has an identity, a mentality and this season we will see it too. Our fans will be proud and Montilivi will enjoy it.”
Going the other way was Pablo Torre, who joins Girona on loan for the season. The 19-year-old midfielder is not the same profile as Romeu, but rather will be hoping to emulate the likes of Rodrigo Riquelme last season, after being starved of minutes by Xavi Hernandez.
“My way of seeing football and the style of play is with energy and verticality. Pablo Torre, in that regard, is top and the youngsters have that energy, so the team always has a spark on the pitch, that’s why we have a lot of young and quality people. We need him to have a great season.”
Girona have a tough job to maintain their form from last season, finishing in 10th place. Now Sporting Director Quique Carcel is tasked with finding a new goalscorer following the exit of Taty Castellanos, and a Romeu replacement.
Michel’s declaration that Romeu improved him as a coach is no surprise, given the Barcelona midfielder speaks and analyses like a manager himself. Above all, Xavi will be gaining an intelligent player.
