When Granell made the offering to Pichichi, symbol of the Athletic Club

Pichichi it had a short life. He retired at the age of 29, after accumulating goals in baskets (83 in 89 games), dying a year later, in 1922, due to typhoid fever which, they say, was caused by some bad oysters been The tragedy was so great that from then on, every club that visits San Mamés for the first time to face the first team, remembers it. The Girona he did it on September 10, 2017, in the first trip in his history to First.

Tradition requires that the local captain, Iker Muniain that afternoon, he acted as guide and host to the visiting captain, then Àlex Granell, who lovingly placed a bouquet of flowers next to the bust installed at the exit of the dressing room tunnel. The bust has had different locations throughout history. The name of Pichichi it also gives its name to a street near the stadium.

Girona has never scored

After the offer, Girona, with the support of a good group of fans and the fresh air brought by the new category, tried to extend a streak that had left everyone speechless. It was matchday 3, and before that they had drawn with Atlético de Madrid (2-2, how to forget it) and won the Málaga (1-0). A four out of six that left the team at the top of the standings. In Bilbao, however, amazed by an atmosphere different from anything they had previously known, and overcome by an opponent who was simply better, those of machin they went down 2-0. With honor and dignity, but they lost with goals from Muniain himself in the first half and Aduriz in the second The Girona, of which men like Bernardo remain today, Borja GarciaStuani and Juanpe (the only one of the four who did not participate), did not even tickle.

This afternoon, more than half a thousand supporters will accompany the team to the stands of San Mamés, eager to continue living the Míchel era, an era reminiscent of that of Pablo Machín because of the greatness with which it is lived. Nothing to do with the environment it was installed with Eusebio Sacristan at the end of the second season in Primera and the dismissal to a category to which it took three years to return. The defeat of Eusebio began in San Mamés.

A robbery

Girona sailed well in the first round of the 18-19 season. He had tied the Camp Nou and had won the RCDE Stadium, to give two examples. A few more feats were still missing, such as eliminating Atlético de Madrid from the Copa i defeat the Madrid al Santiago Bernabeu. But in Bilbao, on a fateful December 10, 2018, everything began to crack. The plans to go to Europa they were suddenly struck.

And it wasn’t because of Girona’s demerit, but because of the gentleman Prieto Iglesiaswhich in stoppage time interpreted that a lack of Ramalho on Muniain it was penal. Aduriz sent the ball into the back of the net, beating it Gorka Iraizand all the people from Girona left angry (1-0).

The matches against Athletic in Montilivi, however, are another story: two victories and one defeat for Girona in three games. Today, Míchel’s team will try to add another triumph, with the bust of Pichichi of witness