It is the joint-worst start in their history, and Valencia coach Pako Ayestarán already faces heat in the media and from within the club itself
The day before Pako Ayestarán flew to Singapore to meet the Valencia owner Peter Lim and discuss becoming the manager at Mestalla, he phoned Gary Neville to ask for his blessing. Neville was the one who had taken him there in the first place, after all, the man who had publicly insisted “when I go, Pako goes”, and now Ayesteran was about to take his job. It was an “awkward” phone call but, if the Englishman wasn’t entirely pleased, he told Ayestarán to go for it. He also told Lim that his former assistant was the best man for the job. At the time, the new manager was grateful. He might not be so sure now. They might not be, either.
Six months on, Valencia are bottom of the table, the only side without a single point. On the eve of their opening game of the new season Ayestarán promised “we’re going to enjoy it” – but no one is enjoying this. Four games later, they’re the worst team in Spain, and he’s the worst manager in their history. That’s what the statistics say, anyway. Mario Kempes, meanwhile, says this: “What’s happening to Valencia is very worrying; there’s no project, no ideas, just pure footballing impotence.” Which would be bad enough anyway but Kempes isn’t just arguably Valencia’s best player ever; he’s also their ambassador.
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