A year 2024 that we will remember forever | OneFootball

Third in the First Division and Montilivi, a fortress

A year that Girona FC will never forget is coming to an end. A year in which dreams, if anyone had ever been able to dream so big, have come true. The team closed a historic season in June as third in the Primera Division with 81 points, behind only Real Madrid and Barça, and earned a ticket to the Champions League, which it has enjoyed in the last quarter, and which it will complete in January. Precisely last January, Atletico Madrid was the first major rival to fall at Montilivi in a frenetic match (4-3), and two of the Catalan derbies of the year 2024 have also been at home, with a memorable victory against Barça in May that meant the definitive qualification for the top continental competition (4-2), and the most recent triumph against Espanyol in the return of the Blue and Whites to the category (4-1).

The stadium has been the epicenter of many great moments, living the celebration to play European competition after defeating Cadiz in April (4-1), the aforementioned Champions League and the closing of the season 23/24 with a last day against Granada in which in addition to achieving the maximum historical goal in professional soccer (7-0), the top scorer of the team, Artem Dovbyk, also managed to proclaim himself pitxitxi of the category with a hat-trick. With the new season underway, the Club has enjoyed the dream of playing in the Champions League, debuting in Paris and seeing the first goal and the first victory in the stadium again, where Liverpool, currently the most in-form team in Europe, have also played. Milestones that beyond being a dream, are a gift for the whole Girona family after much more complicated stages, and that is why we finish 2024 reviewing the best moments of the course with the following video.

The Champions League, a historic milestone

With the comeback against Barça in Montilivi began one of the most beautiful and unimaginable journeys in the history of Girona FC. That day Montilivi could celebrate that the team would play in the Champions League with the best teams in the continent, as it has been. The city dressed up in June to celebrate with the team the achievement of a historic milestone, filling the streets, the Plaza del Vino and La Copa in a massive parade at the height of success.

This season all that illusion has taken shape and on September 18 the team took the field for the first time with the Champions League anthem in the background. A historic and very competitive duel at the Parc des Princes against PSG that almost ended in a draw, although an unfortunate action in stoppage time gave the three points to the home side. Another date marked in red on the calendar was October 2, when Montilivi was dressed up for the first time to host a match in Europe's top competition. Despite failing to beat Feyenoord (2-3), David Lopez managed to score Girona's first goal in the competition and the Club experienced a magical first night that will remain in the memory. Montilivi has also seen the first victory in the Champions League, against Bratislava (2-0), and a match of height against a Liverpool that for moments was subdued despite being the leader (0-1). In between, two more trips to PSV and Sturm Graz.

All the goals that have contributed to making 2024 so magical

Valery Fernández got the first in the win at Montilivi against Atlético de Madrid, and since then Girona FC has scored 84 goals during the year 2024 until Arnaut Danjuma's last goal in another win at the stadium against Valladolid, the last of the season. Some of them were as memorable as Iván Martín's stoppage-time winner against Atleti in the first game of the year, Stuani's goal to secure a vital victory in stoppage time against Betis, Portu's brace to come from behind against Barça, David López's aforementioned goal to open the Champions League account and another brace, in this case by Miovski, in the win over Espanyol. But if anyone has stood out for his goals, it is Artem Dovbyk, who with 24 goals was proclaimed top scorer in the First Division last season. In addition, he scored the only hat-trick of this 2024 with three goals against Granada in the last matchday, which allowed him to surpass Sorloth and become the top scorer of the category.

Juvenil A's performance in the Youth League, impeccable

Juvenil A also made its debut in the top European youth competition this year, and did so in an unbeatable way. On September 18, the team won its debut at PSG Campus, winning 0-2 and Juan Arango scored the first goal in the Club's history in European competition. On October 2, the team overcame Feyenoord in the home opener at the Vidreres Municipal (2-0), and since then they have chained four more draws against Slovan Bratislava (2-2), PSV (1-1), Sturm Graz (0-0) and the last one against Liverpool at the Olot Municipal (2-2). In 2025, they face demanding challenges because after qualifying in twelfth position, they will travel to Greece in February to face Olympiacos, the reigning champions, in a single match in the round of 32.