Despite Losing Out To Real Madrid, Girona May Have A Champion ...

In less than a year, Dovbyk has found his groove in La Liga.

As the race for the La Liga trophy reaches its endgame, and Real Madrid edges towards the top prize, there’s an acceptance that Girona’s audacious bid to become champion will end in pride and satisfaction rather than unbridled joy.

However, qualification for the revamped Champions League would still represent an overachievement, and the Catalans could have another winner in forward Artem Dovbyk—less than a year after he first kicked a ball for the team.

The leading marksman with 18 league goals at the time of writing, the Ukrainian is on course to lift the Pichichi trophy awarded to the Spanish top-flight’s most prolific scorer at the end of each season. Real midfielder Jude Bellingham—also in his first season and the more obvious sensation—trails him with 17 strikes and is eyeing the accolade, too.

Dovbyk, starring in five more league matches than Bellingham this term, has proved a focal point for Girona. What stands out isn’t his all-round game or glorious goals, more being in the right place at the right time to take chances with minimal fuss. Such is the precision of Girona’s buildup that his job has often been to apply the final touch. Of course, there’s been some real quality to boot.

The 26-year-old has shot to prominence quickly, with the road there much longer in comparison. Dovbyk, arriving in Girona as a relatively unknown quantity following stints in Denmark, Moldova, and Ukraine, has built his game around strength and turned into a beast up front. A six-minute hat-trick against Sevilla will be a highlight in a breakthrough campaign where Dovbyk, like Girona, has undoubtedly made himself known.

Dovbyk, set to play for Ukraine at the European Championships, was at Dnipro-1 before Girona signed ... [+] him.

Before embarking on his goalscoring journey as a new Blanquimervells player, Dovbyk said, “I don’t have any pressure.” And who could argue with that? Here is someone at Girona—a team with more years in the fourth tier than the first—not down the road in Barcelona or Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu. A club-record acquisition, he came for less than €8 million ($8.5 million), a small outlay for many sides.

Were he to collect the award—given by the newspaper Marca for 71 years and named after Athletic Club great Rafael Moreno Aranfadi—he would be a surprise winner. Since the ex-Mallorca striker Dani Güiza topped the pile after a purple patch in 2007 and 2008, it’s mainly belonged to acclaimed stars like eight-time winner Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, and the 2022/23 champ Robert Lewandowski.

Dovbyk’s tally falls in a season where nobody has recorded outstanding figures. The number nine still needs five more to match Lewandowski’s league total of 23 last term, the fewest in 22 years. The fact a deeper-lying player, Bellingham, is among the highest scorers in the division says a lot.

Still, Dovbyk is one of the best around. And, looking ahead, he could be an option for Napoli as the Serie A side considers a potential replacement for Victor Osimhen (Spanish) next season following a meek title defense, as reported by Mundo Deportivo. Selling would allow Girona to make a considerable profit, except gearing up for European soccer—which the squad will be excited about—means that is far from certain.

For the moment, there are more goals in store. Girona’s trip to face Las Palmas this weekend is the longest domestic away day in European soccer, roughly 1,500 miles from its Estadi Montilivi, home to some wild games in recent times. Dovbyk, too, has gone far—far beyond most expectations. In doing so, he’s added another dimension to a league destined to end up in familiar hands.