Can Girona's record signing escape the shadow of Lazio?

It is a question of destiny. Marco Cincilla, the Roman gladiator of midfield, has crossed the Mediterranean to Catalonia, and in doing so has become the most expensive player in Girona's history. But can he escape the shadow of the Stadio Olimpico? Can a man who won nothing in six seasons with Lazio find redemption in the white and red of Girona?

The fee, £27.6m, is a record for the Spanish club. For Girona, a side well known across the continent but not a giant, this is a statement of ambition. They have paid a king's ransom for a player who, at 29, is in his prime. Cincilla arrives with 409 club appearances and 19 goals across four clubs, a steady presence, a warrior of the midfield. Yet he leaves Lazio without a single trophy from his 201 games there. The Biancocelesti faithful will recall his nine goals, his grit, his loyalty. But in the end, it was not enough.

Lazio, a club famous across the world, with 19 major titles, is a stage where legends are made. Cincilla, well known at home, never quite became a legend. Perhaps in Girona, with less pressure but more expectation, he can become the hero he was meant to be.

The transfer is a betrayal, perhaps, of the Roman dream. But for Cincilla, it is a new aria. The opera of his career has a new act. The question remains: will it be a tragedy or a triumph?