Who is Michel? CFG's heir-apparent to Guardiola working miracles at Girona

Tom Weber

• Updated: 16 Apr 2024 16:51 BST
• 5 min read

Girona have been LaLiga's biggest surprise in 2023/24 and it's all down to the stunning work of head coach Michel.

The Catalan minnows had never played in LaLiga until 2017 and were only elevated to particular prominence after being taken over by City Football Group, with the club henceforth led by Pep Guardiola's brother, Pere.

After demotion back to the second division and two failed attempts at getting back up, Girona turned to promotion expert Michel to turn things around. Three years on, Girona gave Real Madrid a good run for their money at the summit of LaLiga thanks to Michel.

But who is Michel and how good is he really?

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What team does Michel manage?

Michel is in charge of Girona and has been since July 9, 2021.

What formation does Michel play?

Michel adjusts his formation depending on the opposition, switching between a back three and a back four. He usually employs a 4-2-3-1 or 3-4-3.

How good is Michel?

Born in Madrid, Michel never lined up for the city's two giants Real or Atletico, instead spending a large chunk of his career at popular local underdogs Rayo Vallecano. His playing career was relatively uneventful compared to what he has thus far experienced as a coach. In the twilight of his playing days, Michel returned to Rayo and it was here where he would take his first steps in coaching.

After several years in the club's youth system, Michel was promoted to head coach of the first team and helped Rayo achieve promotion to LaLiga in 2018. The minnows struggled in the top flight and he was eventually sacked. He repeated this trick at Huesca, getting promoted as champions but then being dismissed with the team languishing in the relegation zone.

In 2021, Girona turned to Michel and his promotion expertise after two failed attempts at bouncing back from their 2019 demotion. The City Football Group-owned side managed to go up via the playoffs after finishing in a relatively unimpressive sixth during the regular season, but they have not looked back.

After narrowly missing out on Europe in 2023, Michel and his side managed to upset the apple cart in their second season back and stormed towards the summit of the top flight. Though the Catalan minnows eventually faltered and results turned sour, they are still on course to get into the Champions League. But how did Michel's Girona manage to keep pace with Real Madrid for several months?

For one, Girona obviously enjoy an advantage over other sides of similar stature due to their CFG links. Players are more inclined to join the club given the prospect of eventually playing for Man City. Brazilian winger Savio, on loan from fellow CFG side Troyes, made no secret of the fact that he joined the CFG network with the goal of featuring for City down the line.

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But to put all of Girona's achievements in 2023/24 down to a financial advantage would be a disservice to Michel, whose tactical flexibility has seen him become one of Spain's most interesting coaches. The 48-year-old's approach is very modern in the way that he wants his team to build up from the back through central channels, creating overloads in the middle of the park to make sure his team remains in possession.

After bypassing the first phase of pressing, Michel's side gets the ball out wide, with one full-back pushing up while his counterpart on the opposite side remains deeper and inverts to help shield the team against transitions when the ball is lost. By using both the winger and the full-back in the attack, Michel's side can create spaces out wide which can be exploited to create dangerous chances for towering striker Artem Dovbyk.

Girona have been one of LaLiga's most exciting teams this season, which is reflected in the fact that they average more than two goals per game. Michel's approach is bold and it works at Girona because, thanks to CFG, he has better players at his disposal than he did at Rayo or Huesca. It seems obvious that if the 48-year-old continues his outstanding work, he will become something of an heir-apparent to Pep Guardiola at Man City.

He could also potentially head down the road to Barcelona, where he could replace Xavi should he stick to his decision and leave. CFG and Girona would be loathe to lose Michel, but his exploits this season have made him an attractive commodity to big clubs around Europe.

What trophies has Michel won?

Michel won the Segunda Division with Rayo Vallecano in 2018 and Huesca in 2020.

Who has Michel managed previously?

Michel had two-year stints in charge of Rayo Vallecano and Huesca, respectively, before taking the reins at Girona.

How old is Michel?

Michel was born on October 30, 1975, making him 48 years old.