Valencia’s autumn has brought Javier Aguirre back into the centre of a familiar Spanish football storm: a veteran coach asked to restore calm at a club where survival, identity and the weight of Mestalla are never easily separated. Two matches into his spell, the Mexican has collected two draws, but the point gained against Athletic Club did little to soften the unease around a side still trapped near the foot of La Liga.
After nine rounds, Valencia have six points and sit 19th, inside the relegation places. Aguirre arrived with the task of reversing a damaging run and lifting a team that had become accustomed to looking over its shoulder. The immediate results have stopped short of defeat, yet neither match has delivered the win that the club urgently needs.
The Athletic draw, Aguirre’s second game in charge, underlined the problem. Valencia had periods in which they could have moved ahead, but again lacked the clinical finish required to turn encouraging passages into three points.
Questions over the new direction
Álvaro von Richetti has publicly challenged the early optimism surrounding Aguirre’s work, arguing that the team has not looked transformed since the coaching change. His criticism centred on the suggestion that a draw should be treated as progress simply because Valencia had previously been losing while second from bottom.
He also questioned comments about academy players not being ready for this level, pointing to Otorbi’s performances and noting that Mayol and Aimar have scored Valencia’s only two goals at Mestalla. For Richetti, those details sit awkwardly beside an attempt to lower expectations at one of Spain’s most demanding clubs.
The broadcaster also focused on Aguirre’s late decisions against Athletic. With the Basque visitors appearing vulnerable, he questioned the introductions of Jesús Vázquez and Ugrinic, and the fact that Valencia ended the match defending rather than pressing for a winner.
“I do not see signs of renewal under Aguirre,” was the essence of his verdict. He added that the coach must recognise the distinction between managing Valencia and his earlier work at Mallorca or Leganés.
That is the challenge awaiting Aguirre in the weeks ahead. A pair of draws has offered Valencia a small pause, not an escape route. In a city accustomed to measuring itself against the grander chapters of its past, the next step must be a first victory—and a clearer indication that the team can climb out of danger.
