VALENCIA FOOTBALL...TOUGH START TO THE NEW CAMPAIGN • 24/7 Valencia

The software algorithm that creates the LaLiga fixtures did Valencia Football Club no favours for this forthcoming campaign, spewing out contests against five clubs in the first half dozen matches that finished above Los Che last season. With the toughest start ahead of them for years, Valencia must hit the ground running. First up is a home game with FC Barcelona. One of the marquee games on the calendar, the Mestalla is likely to be at capacity for the visit of the Catalans.

New Barça manager Hansi Flick will be under intense pressure to bring silverware back to the trophy cabinet after a barren 2023/2024, and as yet no major signings have arrived at the Nou Camp during the summer… despite constant rumours. The two Portuguese players João Cancelo and João Felix have completed their loan periods from Manchester City and Atlético Madrid, and Barcelona seem reluctant to make those transfers permanent.

Chadi Riad (Betis), Marc Gulu (Chelsea) and Estanis (Sampdoria) have all left for seven figure fees, whilst Marco Alonso and Sergio Roberto are currently looking for new clubs. American international Sergiño Dest has made last season’s loan to PSV Eindhoven permanent.

This first game could be a genuine indicator of the trials and tribulations for both clubs near future and which of them are more likely to have the better outcome, by the end of May 2025.

Valencia travel to Galicia for their first away game. They will play Celta Vigo who struggled last year and flirted with relegation for a while.

Their Norwegian forward Jørgen Strand Larsen has moved to Wolves and will be a big loss, with Borja Iglesias being brought in on loan as a possible replacement. If he can forge an attacking partnership with Iago Aspas, then goals could flow more freely this time around. Manager Claudio Giráldez has also shored up his defence with the impressive signing of Unai Núñez, reportedly in the region of around seven million Euros.

It is the former club of Núñez, Athletic Bilbao that Valencia face the following weekend in San Mamés. They will miss Raul Garcia, who has retired after playing over 800 competitive games. Their fate this season could well rest on whether they can hold on to one or both of the Williams brothers, Nico and Iñaki.

Valencia then return to the Mestalla for a local derby with Villarreal. The Yellow Submarine finished one place above Valencia in eighth last year, but also one place off a European spot.

The team from the North of the Comunidad tried hard to keep their Nordic shot stopper Filip Jörgensen in Spain but the pull of Chelsea was too strong, and consequently he will play in the Premier League from this August.

Ben Brereton-Díaz will also stay in England swapping his loan spell with Sheffield United for newly promoted Southampton, whilst the former Valencia favourite Gonçalo Guedes has returned to Wolves along with Yerson Mosquera after an unsuccessful loan spell.

Finally, past Liverpool stars Alberto Moreno and Pepe Reina are heading to Italy to play with newly promoted Como, who are owned by Cesc Fàbregas.

Losing two keepers, Marcelino has brought in Diego Conde from CD Leganés, and he will be hoping that Willy Kambwala will settle in Spain better than he did in Manchester. If the Congolese defender can duplicate the kind of performances Pau Torres used to put in for Villarreal then he could be a bargain, despite the 10 million Euro price tag.

For game five of the season, Valencia play Girona at home. The Manchester City feeder club surprised everybody with their third place finish and as a result have secured a Champions League berth.

Their success has not gone unnoticed and the German champions Bayer Leverkusen have swooped in to buy their midfield ace Aleix García. Centre forward Pau Víctor has also moved on to Barcelona for a modest fee and around ten others from last season’s squad have returned to their mother clubs after loan contracts expired.

On the flip side the lure of playing in Europe’s elite competition has enticed some quality players to Girona. The Valencia favourite Bryan Gil is loaned out again to a Spanish club by Tottenham, and around 22 million Euros have been spent on four players. Centre forward Abel Ruiz comes in from Braga in Portugal and two centre backs Ladislav Krejčí and Alejandro Francés arrive from Sparta Prague and Real Zaragoza.

Perhaps, the most exciting acquisition is Donny Van de Beek. If he can rediscover his Ajax form, from days gone by, then he could be the best piece of business in years with Girona bagging him at a cut price 500,000 euros.

The last match for Valencia of the first six is arguably the toughest of all of them. Valencia face a trip to the capital and the test of Atlético Madrid. The Wanda Metropolitano is a bit of a fortress for Diego Simone’s team, and as always, they have been active with ins and outs throughout the summer.

Stefan Savić and Gabriel Paulista have each received free transfers to different Turkish clubs, but the Rojiblancos have upgraded in defence by snapping up Robin Le Normand from Real Sociedad.

With Alvaro Morata heading back to Italy and Memphis Depay and Vittolo released, you would expect more playing time up-front for the returning João Félix. Expect another new name in the forward line, well before Valencia go to Madrid, with the Ukranian Artem Dovbyk who is one player being hotly linked with the club.

Valencia themselves have dabbled in the market but the current focus seems to be on meeting the deadlines and requirements set by the council to complete the new Mestalla.

Centre forward Rafa Mir has finally returned home and joined from Sevilla and Stole Dimitrievski was an early summer signing to cover the bases for what was deemed the eventual departure of Giorgi Mamardashvili.

The Georgian had a fantastic Euros and put himself firmly in the shop window. Tellingly, he has been missing from recent pre-season friendlies, along with Cristian Mosquera and Diego Lopez who are on Olympic duty with Spain.

The pre-season friendlies have yet to yield a victory with two losses against Alavés and PSV and goalless draws with both Levante and Castellon.

The remaining friendlies before the league starts sees Valencia head to England and Elland Road for a game with Leeds. The curtain raiser before Barcelona will be the Trofeo Naranja at the Mestalla.

The 52^nd edition of the pre-season tournament brings the German outfit Eintracht Frankfurt to Spain. They include in their ranks their goalkeeper and captain Kevin Trapp, and Mario Goetze who scored the winning goal for his nation in the 2014 World Cup Final.

Meanwhile Levante continue to strengthen their squad in hope of emerging as a front runner for promotion. Former favourites José Luis Morales and Vicente Iborra have returned to the Ciutat de Valencia and will undoubtedly add something to the midfield and attack. Three friendlies remain before Levante starts their La Liga Hypermotion campaign. First up, in Division two, they travel to Gijon before they entertain newly relegated Cadiz.

Both opponents will be expecting to be challenging for league honours. So, like Valencia, Las Granotas will need to be switched on from game one if they do not want to be playing catch up by the end of August.

Report by John Howden

Article copyright ‘24/7 Valencia’

Valencia CF

Leeds United v Valencia CF Aug 3, 16.00h Friendly

Valencia CF v Eintracht Frankfurt Aug 10, 21.00h (Trofeo Naranja)

Valencia CF v FC Barcelona Aug 17, 21.30h League

Celta Vigo v Valencia CF Aug 23, 19.00h League

Athletic Club v Valencia CF Aug 28, 19.00h League

Valencia CF v Girona Aug 31, tbd League

Levante UD

Levante UD v Villarreal B Aug 3, 19.00h Friendly

Levante UD v Real Zaragoza Aug 9, 21.00h Friendly