The new campaign always brings about fresh optimism and anticipation to supporters of clubs in the city, but even more so this time, because of the promotion of Levante UD to La Liga, ensuring the Valencia derby will be on the fixture list at least twice this season. Both teams have now returned to training and have already dabbled in the transfer market during the summer. Valencia CF have grabbed Dani Raba on a free transfer from Leganés, and promoted the promising youngster Iker Córdoba from the “B” team. As is the Valencia way, they immediately loaned him out to CD Mirandés for the year in the hope of him getting valuable playing time and experience.
Loans have played a big part in the DNA of Los Che in recent years, with varying degrees of success. Enzo Barrenechea and Umar Sadiq won the hearts of the Valencia faithful with their on-field performances and they will be sorely missed this time around. Max Aarons, Iván Jaime Paujelo, Maximiliano Caufriez and Rafa Mir made less of an impression and will return quietly to their respective owners.
Returning from spells away from the Mestalla are Eray Cömert and Cenk Özkacar. They may be called into actions if injuries prevail. However, both are unlikely to start the season in the first team despite the departure of Yarek Gasiorowski to PSV Eindhoven.
No sooner had Germán Valera and Hugo González returned to the club from last season’s loan periods and they were on their way out again, completing permanent deals.Valera joined newly promoted Elche after impressing last season, and González has secured a free transfer to Celta Fortuna.
Arguably, Valencia’s main need is a goalkeeper to compete with the North Macedonian Stole Dimitrievski. With Giorgi Mamardashvili heading to Anfield and Jaume Doménech not retained, reinforcements to the number one spot were undoubtedly needed.
Gandia-born Cristian Rivero returns after a season at Albacete but the club would also like a third keeper with experience on the books. To this end, the Bilbao shot stopper Julen Agirrezabala has completed his transfer from Athletic Bilbao. With Unai Simon and Alex Padilla cramping his opportunities with the Basque side, it seems a perfect match and his signature is a major coup for Valencia.
The build up to the first league fixture with Real Sociedad on August 16th will begin shortly with a cluster of friendlies. The club start with two games in the middle of July against CD Castellón and Leganés at the Antonio Puchades stadium. They then travel up the coast to the Costa Duarada where they will play the French outfit Olympique de Marseille on the 29th of July.
A short excursion to Germany follows, to play a strong Borussia Mönchengladbach side at Borussia Park on August 7th. Two days later, this year’s eagerly awaited Trofeo Naranja will take place at the Mestalla and the Italian club Torino FC will be the opponents. One of the top clubs in Italy, in the late 40s until the ‘Tragedia de Superga,’ they finished 11th in Serie A last season. Scottish international Che Adams and Antonio Donnarumma (the brother of the Italian international goalkeeper Gianluigi) are likely to be on show for the Turin based club.
Last season’s champions of Liga Hypermotion Levante UD, have also taken steps to strengthen their squad. One of the first things they needed to do was find a suitable replacement for Giorgi Kochorashvili. The influential Georgian has moved to Portugal and Sporting Lisbon for a fee over five million. Los Granotas have already spent a fifth of that money on purchasing the Hondurian Kervin Arriaga and the Uruguyan Alan Matturro.
Arriaga is an interesting capture from Partizan Belgrade and spent last season with Real Zaragoza. So, he has experience of Spanish football. He also spent two seasons in the USA with Minnesota United in the MLS. He will be expected to fill the boots of Kochorashvili and how successful he is at doing that could be the key to Levante’s season.
Matturo, a centre back signed from Genoa could be another pivotal figure for the club this year. The youngster has already been capped at youth level by his country and a strong showing at the ‘Ciutat de València’ this year could see him earn his first full cap for Uruguay.
A third player, Argentinian Matías Moreno, was also recently confirmed as a Levante player. He has signed on a season long loan from Fiorentina with no obligation to buy.
Free transfers Jeremy Toljan (Sassuolo) and Victor García (Eldense) could be both vying for the right back spot and Pablo Campos and Oscar Clemente have both returned from loan spells with relegated Cartagena.
A strong fans favourite at Levante, Vicente Iborra has retired from professional football and Ángel Algobia, Marcos Navarro and Andrés Fernández have all left and still have to find a club.
Pre-season games start for Levante very soon with the first at Ciudad Deportiva de Buñol against the Malaysian outfit Johor Darul Takzim FC. The latter are likely to include in their team the former Valencia player Castillejo.
Then, the squad will travel the short distance to the Estadio Pinilla to play against CD Teruel, on July 23rd. International competition in the face of Al-Qadsiah comes next on the last day of July. The former Real Madrid and Spanish international Nacho plies his trade now with the Saudis. He is likely to put in an appearance at Estadio Olímpico Camilo Cano (La Nucía).
Los Granotas finish their friendlies with CD Castellón and AJ Auxerre on consecutive days (the 8th and 9th of August). It is likely to be two separate sides, as the game against Castellón is behind closed doors at Bunol, and the match with the team from the Burgundy region will be played at the Estadio de l’Abbé-Deschamps with a 7pm kick-off.
The icing on the cake for Los Granotas is that their first home game back in La Liga will be against the current league champions FC Barcelona.
Finally, congratulations to the Valencia legend Juan Mata who received an MBE in the recent birthday honours list. He collected his medal last month at the Madrid embassy from Alex Ellis (the British ambassador in Spain) for his services to sport and good causes. Mata was instrumental in creating ‘Common Goal’, a movement that encourages professional soccer players to donate 1% of their salary to football-supporting charities.
Report by John Howden
Article copyright ‘24/7 Valencia’
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