"Here I almost came to blows with Rafa Benítez and Pako Ayestarán." That's how Javier Aguirre described his history at Mestalla — and it tells you everything about the kind of manager Valencia just hired. Not a diplomat. Not a project. A fighter.
The 65-year-old Mexican was unveiled on Thursday as Valencia's new head coach, taking over a side sitting one point above the relegation zone with 31 games still to play. He spoke for over an hour in a packed press room, and not once did he sound like a man reading from a script.
"People are tired of messages"
Aguirre's coaching philosophy can be reduced to a few blunt principles: don't lie to your players, lose the ego, and results do the talking. He was clear-eyed about the situation — Valencia are in trouble — but refreshingly unbothered by the noise around it.
"There are 93 points left to play and we're four, six or seven points from a mid-high block of the table," he said. "I see solid ground." Whether that reads as confidence or spin depends entirely on what happens in the next few weeks.
He turned down four other job offers before taking this one. When sporting director Braulio Vázquez called, the conversation was apparently brief: "Do you want to come to Valencia? Yes. Sure. Yes." No project discussion. No fine print. He was with his grandchildren and still said go.
What Aguirre actually inherits
The squad has individual talent — he acknowledged that — but three centre-backs are injured, several first-teamers are mentally and physically drained, and the club's off-field situation at Mestalla is complicated enough that even the incoming manager felt the need to address it publicly.
His first job isn't tactical. He's already spoken one-on-one with six or eight players, asking about their backgrounds, how they feel about the club, what they've been through. He plans to do the same with everyone before his debut — away at Racing de Santander in the league a week on Sunday.
- His contract runs until June 30
- He received a call from president Kiat Lim five minutes before facing the press
- He has reunited with Pablo Maffeo and Copete, though both know personal history won't buy them minutes
- No transfer market demands — he works with what he's given
On the academy players, he was genuinely enthusiastic: six or seven youngsters promoted recently, players he hadn't even met yet, but whose ability he already rates. "They lack a bit of confidence," he said. "That's a quick diagnosis, but that's what I see."
Valencia are this weekend's side every bookmaker watches closely — a historic club fighting like a newly promoted one. Aguirre's arrival has shortened relegation odds across the market, though a single week of training before El Sardinero is hardly a transformation window. The lift is psychological for now.
"Beating my teams has to cost you blood, sweat and tears, especially at home," he said. "That's non-negotiable."
He'll be judged on whether Mestalla starts to feel that way again. Right now, it doesn't.
