Nou Mestalla? What Nou Mestalla?

By: Cesar | February 25th, 2009

As if things couldn’t get any worse with Our Beloved, word from Valencia today that work on our shiny, brand-spanking new 73,000-capacity stadium has been suspended due to our financial woes.

So what now? The infamous ‘mystery buyer’ of the Old Mestalla steps up and buys this piece of rubble?

Seriously, WHAT HAPPENED TO OUR CLUB?!?

Valencia vice president Miguel Zorio said Wednesday that construction would start up again when the cash-strapped club can meet its next payment to builders.

So like … in 2012?

“It’s not a paralysis of works but a postponement of payment,” Zorio was quoted in Las Provincias newspaper.

“When we pay, work will resume at the same rate as before. I wouldn’t call it a paralysis because some workers have continued (working).”

Ya, they’re called Valencia CF. Can you imagine? Poor Curro Torres is pulling double shifts at Manolo’s and moon lighting at the Nou Mestalla.

What started as a joke might indeed be reality … Valencia CF’s CV’s are being sent throughout the city in search of work …

The €300 million ($382 million) stadium, which Valencia hopes will help it land the right to host a future Champions League final, was to be ready for the 2010-11 season. Zorio said that was still possible.

Zorio also said that Valencia’s players salaries for February would be paid in the coming days. And my name is Juan Soler …

To make matters even worse, 98-year old Ruben Baraja told a press conference that expectations were just too high for this club …

Yes, he said that. Our former captain said that.

“The expectations are too high and it’s a shame that some of the players have reacted to it,” he said while slowly eating some warm applesauce.

“We’ve dropped out of the Champions League positions for the first time and everyone is already saying that we are slipping (You are, you freakin’ muppet).

“I don’t know how that can be said when there is so much of the season left, but it is almost as if people have been waiting to be negative. The league is very even and if teams like Villarreal don’t stop believing then neither should we.

“We know that we have been conceding goals lately, but we are trying to correct that without losing our offensive side because we have so many good players going forward.”

Uggh …

Did I mention our upcoming match against Dynamo Kiev tomorrow?

Match? We’re playing a match tomorrow? (More on that … tomorrow … )

When the off-the-field news becomes more important than the real news (the football), then you know we’re in trouble.

But then again, maybe my expectations were too high …