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On The Ball
The likes of La Liga’s Girona are a breath of fresh air atop Europe’s league tables
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Girona midfielder Savio Moreira hugging a staff member after scoring their second goal in their 2-1 win over Rayo Vallecano on Nov 11.
PHOTO: AFP
LONDON – Football league standings across Europe suggest change might be in the air. Girona are leading the Spanish La Liga, with Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid trailing in their wake. Bayer Leverkusen are top of the German Bundesliga, while Nice were leading the French Ligue 1 ahead of the weekend.
Could this be a season where the little man finally has his say, where small, well-run provincial clubs prevail? It’s actually a little more complicated than that, and rather less romantic. In the case of Nice and Girona, those clubs’ early-season successes have much to do with football’s globalisation.
