At Mestalla, where Valencia’s history is written as much into the concrete as into the matchday noise, Javier Aguirre has accepted that one personal preference will remain untouched. The Mexican coach wanted to move the home dugout, but the stadium’s century-old custom has won the day.
A tradition preserved at Mestalla
Aguirre confirmed that he had proposed placing Valencia’s bench on the right-hand side of the players’ tunnel. The idea was linked to the routines he has introduced since taking charge, yet the club’s attachment to the existing arrangement proved decisive.
The coach said the strongest case against the change was the stadium’s tradition: for 103 years, the benches at Mestalla have remained in the same places. He said he would not be the person to break a custom that belongs to the ground, the club and its supporters.
He also played down any suggestion that the matter was a superstition or a source of frustration. Aguirre described the request as his own idea, but insisted it was not something keeping him awake and would have no bearing on Valencia’s wider project.
Valencia’s emergency appointment
- Valencia endured a difficult opening to their LaLiga campaign and found themselves in the relegation places.
- After an unsuccessful spell under an interim coach, the club turned to Aguirre, the former Mexico national-team manager, before matchday eight.
- His first game in charge ended in a 2-2 draw away to Racing Santander.
- On matchday nine, Aguirre is set to take charge of Valencia at Mestalla for the first time, with Athletic Club visiting the Spanish east coast.
The bench will not be where Aguirre initially imagined it, but the more urgent task is clear: lifting a historic club out of danger. The visit of Athletic will offer the Mexican his first home measure of what Valencia can become under his leadership.
