Girona are set to hang onto one of their most entertaining forwards beyond the end of the season, as Brazilian sensation Savio Moreira exceeds all expectations. Ferran Soriano, CEO of the City Group, has said both he will extend his stay in Catalonia.
The City Group have a major stake in the Blanquivermells, and for many years there were a series of players that appeared in Girona, without the Catalan side ever pulling up trees. Yet their form last season and this season has made everyone sit up and take notice.
“It is a source of pride, not only in Manchester but for the entire [City] group that makes up more than 4,000 people. No one misses Girona’s matches, not in Yokohama, nor in Montevideo, not in New York…” Soriano told RAC1, via MD.
Meanwhile Savio has been one of the revelations of the season. The 19-year-old arrived on loan from Troyes, another club that belongs to the City Group, and has five goals and four assists in 14 appearances so far. His compatriot Yan Couto recently made it to the Brazilian national team, but Soriano claimed that their key investment was not neither money nor players.
“There are two players on loan, Yan Couto and Savinho, but there is no direct help. What there is is mental and institutional support, we give them tranquility and stability.”
He would go on to insist that Girona buy players at market price from other City Group teams. The good news for La Liga fans is that Savio seems to sticking around.
“Savinho will stay in Girona until the end of the season and I think for more seasons. He was a player who was on loan at PSV and barely played, He won’t move from here.”
Ultimately, multi-club ownership is always likely to inspire a sense of rejection from others, and it is not yet clear how UEFA will tackle it, as it becomes more common. While Girona have not benefitted excessively from their City links, nor City from their links to Girona, should they move up an echelon in the football hierarchy, it could see much more business between the two – which is what will draw more criticism.
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