Girona FC’s general director, Ignasi Mas-Bagà, is clear about how the club must continue to grow. To do so, he understands how vital it is for the Catalan side to establish its place in LaLiga Santander, since being in Spanish football’s top division “provides an international window that scales the club to another dimension”.
Furthermore, as he explained in an interview, he has clear ideas about how important youth football is and how the transfer of players is key for the club’s budget, reinforcing the idea that Girona FC is a good club for developing players.
- Starting in general terms, what is the club’s roadmap in a business sense?
Girona FC is and must continue to be self-sustainable. Girona FC must also establish itself as a business platform for our partners. We find ourselves located close to two historic clubs in FC Barcelona and RCD Espanyol, but there is room for everyone. Being a small club also has many advantages and this is what our partners see since we offer them flexibility, speed and approachability. We are continuing to work on growing commercially, on digitalising our processes and on consolidating our sporting project by keeping our place in LaLiga Santander, which “provides an international window that scales the club to another dimension”.
- In economic terms, several clubs are still recovering from the effects of the pandemic. However, Girona FC is aiming for revenue of 55 million euros in 2022/23 to consolidate economic sustainability and get to zero deficit. How do you hope to achieve this?
We have set ourselves big targets with all revenue streams, from matchday to commercial to retail... Our brand and our assets have increased in value compared to the last season we spent in LaLiga Santander. This is thanks to how solid our project is, even though we were in LaLiga SmartBank the previous three years, as we have been able to capitalise on our two seasons in the top flight and now we’re looking to consolidate our place there. The transfer of players is also relevant to our budget and continued evolution in this aspect can reinforce the idea that Girona FC is a club that produces players.
- How does it help Girona FC to be part of City Football Group? In what ways has the growth since 2017 been particularly noticeable?
The group has grown a lot since 2017. With our acquisition, we became the sixth club in the group, and now the group is about to expand further with a 13th team. We are a fully international and global football clubs platform, something unique in the world. The synergies are very positive in many ways, both in a sporting sense and in a business sense. It’s important to note that the day-to-day running of the club is carried out from Girona and this makes us feel very comfortable.
- Regarding sponsorship, how do you think this sector is evolving and what is the club doing in this area?
Brands are demanding more and more from the clubs they sponsor and I think this should be the case. A sponsorship agreement has to base its success not only on measuring the quantity of impacts, but also on the quality of the interaction. Yes, quantity is important, but quality is even more so. Digital assets are already the most sought-after, due to their reach, speed of execution and the traceability of data. Another key point in this field comes with activation, as clubs must be proactive and propose a good activation plan to introduce the sponsor to the consumer and fan.
- Girona FC leans on its fanbase when it comes to making important club decisions (for example, with the badge or mascot). How does this help the club to better connect with and to increase the number of supporters?
With the exception of four clubs, all the other teams in LaLiga are sporting limited companies, as a result of the sports law of 1990. Yet, one of our objectives as an entity is to maintain the spirit of association and community, through which we encourage participation and constantly listen to the fans.
Obviously, the club is run by the management team and the board of directors, but, whenever we can, we like to give our members the opportunity to decide different aspects of the running of the club through votes. Our process to update the Girona FC badge is a clear example and a success story. The members first assessed the elements of the current badge that they liked and then decided between two final options. In total, some 3,500 members took part in the vote.
- The signing of Viktor Tsygankov in the winter market was one of the most expensive transfers in the club’s history. How has Girona FC evolved to be able to go after big-name players in the market?
First of all, I think it is important to highlight the work and effort of the entire team that was involved in making an operation of this size happen. We previously tried to sign Viktor last summer and we persisted until we reached an agreement with Dynamo Kyiv, which we managed this January.
The fact that Viktor decided to come to Girona FC is no coincidence. Players are looking for optimal environments to grow in their professional careers, a place to make their home and a club that gives them security. With Viktor signing with us, it’s a demonstration that we are doing things well. It’s not easy to bring a player like him to Girona FC, when he had other significant proposals. Not so long ago, a transfer like this would be unthinkable. It’s similar to the way that young players are deciding to join our youth football system. I think Girona FC is now perceived as a club where talent is valued and where you can grow.
- What are Girona FC’s sporting aspirations for the coming years?
Our main objective is to consolidate our place in LaLiga Santander. We also want to be a team that has a defined way of playing and a clear commitment to youth football. We want Girona FC to be a platform for developing talent and that is why we are committed to giving opportunities to young players. We have examples of players who have come through here, such as Pedro Porro, who has been signed by Tottenham, or Arnau Martínez, who is in our first team and for whom big clubs are knocking on our door. There are many other examples, players who people will soon know all about.