My Beloved Club: What’s Become of You?

By: Cesar | July 25th, 2008

Excuse this rant, but I’m about ready to explode regarding the events of yesterday’s reunion between Juan Soler and Juan Villalonga …

As many of you know, Villalonga is out as CEO after 2 weeks, Soler is selling his shares to Vicente Soriano, a board member who has been trying to buy the club for some time and more than likely, we’re losing David Villa and David Silva to pay down our outstanding debt. (Strong rumors today that Villa’s off to Real Madrid in a matter of days …)

What’s going on here?

This club has gone down the toilet so fast, my head is spinning.

From the heights of the Champions League Finals and the league championships to this disgraceful display … utterly pathetic.

I blame one man and one man only: Juan Soler.

Since he’s been here, we’ve gone through a slew of coaches, mismanagement after mismanagement and a debt that just keeps rising.

Villalonga laid it out there for everyone to see: a 700 MILLION Euro debt, 150 million of which needs to be paid by the end of the year …

Let me repeat that … 700 MILLION EUROS!!!!!! How did that happen?

I know, I know.

The stadium, the Mestalla land deals going awry, not qualifying for the Champions League, the war in Iraq, high gas prices, etc etc etc …

But 700 million Euros? Come on! What happened??

Villalonga at least had a plan. He wanted to find foreign investors to come in and make the club viable again, make the club mean something around the world. I read he made an impassioned speech that moved many Valencia fans, made them believe he could make this club matter again, bring it back to the heights it so surely belongs …

But after yesterday’s shenanigans? We’re nothing but a joke.

What world-class player in his right mind would want to come to Valencia and play for these a$$holes?

Soler struts out to the podium of the news conference, minutes after Villalonga said he had 15 days to buy the club and basically goes back on his word.

He appoints Soriano new president, says he’s selling his shares to Soriano, fires Villalonga and all his people and makes a mockery of Valencia CF and all its fans …

I’m so sick to death of it.

We should be talking about our upcoming season, new transfers and how we’ll do in the league. We should be brimming with optimism about the club, wondering what titles we’ll be challenging for and thinking of what player’s kit to buy this season. We should be proud to see our Euro 2008 champions returning to the team, filled with joy for the new season.

Instead, this.

I know this sounds like a lot of whining. I know I do a lot of it on this blog. But since I started writing this in March 2007, when we were playing Inter Milan in the Champions League, what’s happened to our team?

We went from beating Inter, playing Chelsea in the quarters and being in the running for a league title to … Koeman, near relegation and a Copa Del Rey title that’ll be remembered as mere solace to our starving hearts rather than an important championship to be savored.

I understand the sentiment of not jumping ship … I’m a Valencia fan and I’m not about to desert the club in their worst hour …

But this is ridiculous.

Why support a club that’s run like this? Why be a fan of a team that could care less what its patrons think?

I wouldn’t go to a restaurant that served bad food. Why should I put up with this?

They don’t care about us or what we think. I don’t care about them and their stupid product.

How bad do you think this team will be without their superstars?

You want to talk about debt? See how empty the Mestalla will be this season while the club languishes in the relegation zone for the entire year …

I love Valencia CF but I want to support a club that cares about its fans, its product and its image.

The people that run Valencia are pathetic and I’ve just about had enough of it.