Girona are who? Pep Guardiola’s brother leads La Liga despite Hearts and Hibs having more supporters and Celtics spending similarly.

This season, anyone who hasn’t been following Spanish football closely would be taken aback by the unexpected name at the top of La Liga.

It is common knowledge that Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Atletico Madrid are the three heavyweights vying for the championship; in fact, not since Valencia in 2003–04 has the trophy gone to a team other than the big three.

In what would rank as one of the biggest surprises in football history, a club that has never even competed in their nation’s top flight before 2017 is hoping to change that this season.

Girona was established in 1930, and for the first 87 years of their existence, they were in and out of the second, third, and fourth divisions of the Spanish lower leagues. As recently as the late 1990s, they even had a stint in the regional division.

A pivotal occasion for the club came six years ago when they were promoted to La Liga for the first time after finishing second in the Segunda Division. Another was revealed the same summer, when it was revealed that the City Football Group had acquired a 44.3% share in the team.

The brother of Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, Pere Guardiola, also got involved and would go on to become the club chairman in 2020. He combined this with his position as one of the most powerful agents in football, having represented players such as Andres Iniesta and Luis Suarez.

Girona, under the new ownership, spent two years in the top flight before suffering relegation, only to bounce back within two campaigns, earning promotion again last season after winning the play-off final 3-1 on aggregate against Tenerife.

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They are back at the top of the table and are dominating La Liga to such an extent that, after beating Alaves 3-0 on Monday night, they have surpassed Real Madrid and are now two points ahead of Los Blancos with 17 games remaining in the season—more than halfway through. Compared to Barcelona in third place, they are nine points ahead.

With only one loss to Jude Bellingham’s Real Madrid in September, an incredible campaign has been produced. Barcelona was severely defeated 4-2 just last week at their makeshift stadium in Montjuic while renovations are being done at Camp Nou.

Girona’s average attendance is lower than that of a Hearts, Hibs, or Aberdeen game, and they play in the Estadio Municipal de Montilivi, which has 14,624 seats. They spent 22.2 million euros in the summer, which is nearly the same amount as Celtic did. Artem Dovbyk, a striker for the Ukraine national team, was the most expensive addition, costing 7.75 million euros.

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Daley Blind, the former Manchester United defender, was an inspired capture from Bayern Munich on a free transfer while youngsters Pablo Torre and Eric Garcia were loaned from Barcelona. The 37-year-old Cristhian Stuani, a former Middlesbrough striker, is their club captain.

Girona play an attacking brand of football under head coach Michel that has yielded 41 goals – the most in the league – and there is now no doubt about their status as genuine title challengers as they chase a place in history, and a first ever qualification for European football.

The manager of Barcelona, Xavi, acknowledges that his teammates are the real deal. Speaking recently, he said: “For some people it’s a surprise that Girona are co-leaders with Real Madrid, but for us, no. With a system that’s a lot like ours, Michel is an excellent coach. Excellent, just congratulate them. They’re playing with a spectacular flair. They can fight for the title. I like the fact that they are fearless, how they attack. They are brave and that’s what has put them there.”