When the summer of 2022 produced a cocktail of one of the most fiery and unpredictable characters in the game and Valencia Club de Fútbol, neutrals hid behind the cushions on the sofa and held their breath as they waited for chaos to erupt. 235 days later, Gennaro Gattuso departed Mestalla.
Valencia were four games without a win in LaLiga, their last victory coming in the 3-0 win over Real Betis before the World Cup. Despite a relatively strong start full of personality and flair, Gattuso’s side have gone off the rails of late.
No side in LaLiga has underperformed their expected points more than Valencia. expected goals would have them seventh in LaLiga on 28.92 points, less than 10 points fewer than leaders Barcelona. In reality, they sit 14th on 20 points, 27 off the top of the table and only one clear of the relegation zone.
"We have been struggling to win for a long time, we knew it was a delicate match that we had to win to improve our position in the table… I am showing my face and I am the first person responsible, I do not control the club's money,” Gattuso said after the game against Valladolid which saw a 101st minute Cyle Larin winner cost his team a defeat.
“It is difficult for me to say if we have to sign or not. I have to respect what the club says and improve my team, we are in a very negative period.”
But the departure is more complex than it could initially seem. “Actually Gattuso has left because he's fed up of ZERO signings and a weak squad which he has been trying to enhance without luck,” La Liga Lowdown’s own Paco Polit revealed. “Another manager tricked by Peter Lim. Third one in a row.”
“Gattuso told the club that, given the current situation (which is NOT only about results; it is January 30 AND NO ONE HAS BEEN SIGNED HERE), he does not see his future clearly, despite the fact that the board wanted him to continue,” Paco continued. Our man in Valencia also shared that Gattuso waived the payment for the second year of his contract.
It’s the latest chapter of instability and chaos at Mestalla with fans continuing to protest against owner Peter Lim and Meriton Holdings. This situation, founded in an incapacity or unwillingness to invest, further underlines many of the reasons why supporters are unhappy.
There is no better illustration than the mistakes of Valencia than the return of Voro. Like Casper the friendly ghost, he’s the spirit that lurks in the corridors of Mestalla, always haunting and floating, ready to spring into life at the perfect moment.
With 45 matches in charge, his next one will equal José Bordalás’ tally of 46 and put him in joint-third for matches led as coach over the past decade. The former player will now be in his eighth spell in the hot seat some 15 years after he first stepped up after the sacking of Ronald Koeman in 2008. Now, he faces yet another uphill battle.