Valencia is in a deep hole, folks. Next-to-last in La Liga with a measly four points from seven matches, they just pulled the trigger on a big move: veteran coach Javier Aguirre is now in charge. This isn’t just about changing the guy on the sideline, this is an early-season reconstruction for a club absolutely reeling after a winless start to the season.
A Veteran Steps Into the Fire
Aguirre, at 67 years old, is no stranger to high-pressure situations or Spanish football. This is his seventh different Spanish club he’ll be taking the reins of, with past stints at Osasuna, Atletico Madrid, Real Zaragoza, Espanyol, Leganes, and most recently Mallorca from 2022-24. The guy’s got experience. He’s also fresh off coaching his native Mexico at the World Cup, where his third run with the national team ended with a last-16 loss to England in Estadio Azteca. Now, he’s back in club coaching, tasked with salvaging what’s left of Valencia’s season. He replaces Carlos Corberán, who got the boot on September 13 after Valencia lost four of its first five games. The club’s B-squad coach, Óscar Sánchez, had been holding down the fort since Corberán’s firing. Aguirre’s deal is through the end of the season, with an option to extend for another year. Can he stabilize this sinking ship?
The Deep-Seated Problems Run Far Beyond the Pitch
The coaching change is just one piece of a much larger, and much more frustrating, puzzle at Valencia. This “early-season reconstruction” also saw soccer chief executive Ron Gourlay removed when Corberán was fired, with Braulio Vázquez since appointed as sporting director. The real issue, though, seems to point higher up the chain. Singaporean businessman Peter Lim, who took over in 2014, has been getting absolutely hammered by Valencia fans for years, blamed for the team’s struggles. The faithful claim Lim treats the club solely as a business, and after a demoralizing 5-0 home loss to Barcelona earlier this month, thousands of fans gathered outside the Mestalla stadium. They were not subtle: calling players “mercenaries” and demanding Lim and club president Kiat Lim “go home.” The frustration is real, especially when you consider Valencia hasn’t finished higher than ninth in La Liga since snagging fourth place in 2017-18 and 2018-19. They were ninth last season, and now they’re sitting second-to-last. What a mess.
The next test for Aguirre and his new squad is just around the corner: an away match at promoted Racing Santander on October 11. Can Aguirre bring some much-needed stability to a club in turmoil, or will the fan anger and ownership issues overshadow any potential turnaround? Get ready, because this is going to be interesting.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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