Valencia’s search for a way out of the relegation places has turned attention towards Javier Aguirre, with the Mexican coach being considered for a return to Spain less than three months after ending his third spell in charge of Mexico.
The proposed move would take Aguirre back to LaLiga and, if completed, make Valencia the seventh Spanish club of his managerial career. Pol Lorente, his recent fitness coach, could also join him at Mestalla.
Quick facts
- Valencia are currently in the relegation zone.
- Javier Aguirre left the Mexico national team less than three months ago, following his third stint.
- Valencia would be his seventh club in Spanish football.
- Pol Lorente may accompany Aguirre as part of his coaching staff.
- The proposed agreement would run to the end of the season and include performance targets.
Aguirre has long been a familiar figure on the Spanish touchline, where his reputation has been built across rescue jobs and longer projects alike. One Spanish football journalist described him as a widely respected coach whose standing in Spain may even exceed the recognition he receives in Mexico.
“He is an ordinary person in the best sense,” the journalist said, pointing to Aguirre’s record as the Mexican coach with the most experience in Spain. “My impression is that he is more respected in Spain than in Mexico.”
That respect has travelled between clubs and cities. Aguirre is regularly associated with teams needing immediate stability, but his Spanish record is not limited to survival fights.
At Osasuna, he led the club into European competition. His time at Atlético de Madrid remains among the most remembered chapters of his career, while elsewhere he has guided sides expected to go down to safety in the top division.
The question for Valencia is whether the 67-year-old can offer more than a short-term escape route. The mooted deal, extending beyond a simple emergency appointment through objectives set for the remainder of the campaign, suggests the club would be asking him to restore order first and then provide a foundation for the months ahead.
