Gattuso and Valencia are a strange tandem. The story could end quickly

At the beginning of June, Valencia announced another coaching resignation. This time, Jose Bordalas left the Bats. The Spaniard lasted at the club only 1 season. Under his guidance the team finished in 9th place in La Liga (not very good) and reached the final of the Copa del Rey (very good). However, it was not a great success for the management. As a result, Bordalas left the club. In his place came Gennaro Gattuso – not the most unambiguous choice.

The Italian’s real coaching career began with his return to AC Milan. The specialist put his heart into his work and even refused to pay his salary before he left the club. It was noble, but in general Gattuso did not achieve much success at the head of the Rossoneri. Nevertheless, he was careful in choosing a new club. The Italian rejected several offers from the Serie A midgets. “Fiorentina” he left in 3 weeks after his appointment as head coach because of disagreements on transfer issues. After that it was Napoli.

Rino didn’t take any job to gain experience. He was patient and waited for offers from clubs with ambition, even though he himself may not have quite lived up to that ambition. Gattuso won the Italian Cup with Napoli, but did not take the team to the Champions League after the 2020/21 season. Aurelio De Laurentiis, the Azzurri’s owner, would not offer the specialist a new contract. Although, by that time, the relationship between the parties had already been soured, so there was no prospect of continued cooperation in any case.

With that in mind, the Italian’s appointment to Valencia looks strange. Reno went from one authoritarian owner to another. And it is much more difficult to work with Peter Lim than with De Laurentiis. The owner of the Bats changes coaches like gloves. Without blinking an eye, he fired Marcelino after winning the Spanish Cup. By the way, after him, none of the coaches stay at the club longer than 1 year. Albert Celades, Javi Gracia, Jose Bordalas – all of them worked at Valencia for only one season.

There is also something wrong inside the club. Gracia once claimed that the management failed to fulfill their promise regarding the squad selection. The specialist was forced to work with those who are available. The Spaniard does not particularly go overboard with the players, but the Bats even got him to the point of openly expressing discontent. And recently it got even worse. On the net there were recorded conversations between former Valencia president Anil Murty and midfielder Carlos Soler. The functionary promised to “destroy” the player through the press because of his unwillingness to renew the contract, and even named the price of the issue – 100 thousand euros. Well, that’s just it.

Murti, of course, was dismissed, but the club’s reputation has been severely damaged. And so it is doubly strange that Gattuso came to the Bats, who is so concerned about his reputation. But the situation inside the club is half the problem. The most important thing for the coach is the team, and there are problems here as well. The contracts of defender Jose Gaya and midfielder Carlos Soler are due for another year. Winger Gonzalo Gedes has 2 years left on his contract, but he openly declares his possible departure from the club. The future of the team’s top three players remains uncertain.

“Valencia needs to start preseason preparations soon, but the club is doing nothing in the transfer market. “The bats are locked into a salary cap. In order to sign newcomers, Valencia needs to sell its players. Soler, Guedes and Gaia are the only ones for whom they can get decent money. “The Bats don’t want to sell their best players, and there is no demand for other performers. It’s a vicious circle. Although it is likely that all three players will not renew their contracts with Valencia. Then it is better to sell them now, free up space on the payroll and rebuild the team with a new coach.

Gattuso and Valencia are a strange tandem. The story could end quickly.

Whether Gattuso himself needs it is another question. Most likely, the specialist was promised a strong team and not a rebuild. But in fact, everything turns out the same way as at Fiorentina. According to rumors, the Italian is already beginning to resent the inaction of his new club in the transfer market. Reno has a list of players he wants to see in his squad, but the management can do nothing.

Valencia is currently powerless in the transfer market – the club has no money for new players and no place on the payroll to sign them. And Gattuso has a serious roster to strengthen the squad, with even Edinson Cavani on it. It is still not clear how the club will interact with the coach and what the future holds for the Bats. In Spain they do not even rule out that Valencia will fight for survival in the next season. That’s clearly not what Reno hoped for. Many factors point to the Italian not working out his two-year contract. But if he does stay at the club, then maybe something will come of it.