The football machinery never stops and the Champions League is no exception. It’s only been twenty-four days since Real Madrid beat Liverpool, with a goal from Vinicius, in the Champions League final of the 21-22 season, which has already begun the new edition of the 22nd season. 23. There are no big names in European football, but there is excitement of smaller clubs. The ear race started last Tuesday in Iceland with the pre-qualifier phrase. The champions of the four leagues with the lowest UEFA coefficient face each other for a place in the knockout rounds of the KO. They were La Fiorita, the Levadia, theInter Club Escaldes and Vikingur Reykjavik, representing San Marino, Estonia, Andorra and Iceland respectively.
Immersed in the dream of the Andorran ensemble is there Adrià Muñoz (Girona, 1994). The goalkeeper made his Second A debut with Llagostera in Valladolid in the 14-15 season and has had experiences in England and France before joining the principality. His arrival at Inter is curious. After closing a good year under the posts of another Andorran team, FC Santa Coloma, the goalkeeper was on holiday in the Girona region. Everything changed quickly in an instant. “I was having dinner with my partner and family. Suddenly I got a call from the president (from Inter). We were talking, he presented the conditions to me and told me that I only had one day to answer. Aware of the possibility of playing in the top club competition in the world, Muñoz soon returned an answer: “It was an easy answer. Playing the Champions League doesn’t always happen and it was one very good opportunity». In addition to him, Inter have two more players with a past in Girona football. They are Aridai Cabrera, former Girona 12-13, and striker Sascha Andreu, one of the architects of the promotion to 1st RFEF with Llagostera last season. They join a club with legendary players, such as Víctor Casadesús or the incombustible captain of the Andorran team and national team, Ildefons Lima.
For the time being, the European yearning for Inter and Muñoz is still very much alive. The blue-and-blacks overcame the first semifinal from the final to four. Under the Icelandic rain, the Andorrans overcame La Fiorina’s initial goal to end up winning one by two. Despite not having minutes, the Girona native says he will never forget that moment. “The feeling of hearing the Champions League anthem is a great emotion, it made me goosebumps. It’s what you dreamed of when you were little. In the end, playing a Champions League match and listening to the anthem is magical. It’s hard for me to describe. ”
Vikingur Reykjavik awaits them in the final match (today, 9.30pm). The host comfortably got rid of Levadia (1-6). The Girona native arrives at the key meeting with clear ideas: “The main goal is enjoy the last game of this preview. Then try to make the best match and try to win and move on to the next round. It would be historic for the club. The reward in case of passing is already known, Malmö, a historian of Swedish football and who already knows that it is to step on the group stage of the Champions League.
