Héctor Gómez analyzes Valencia at a turning point on the brink of collapse
For a long time, Valencia and Valencianism have stopped surprising anyone. Neither for the better nor the worse. Here is why. An Easter Sunday draw of nearly a thousand fans who chose a match over the path to second division, and the heartbreak of defeat that followed, mirrors a broader pattern: a startling lack of momentum between Valencian business interests and politicians to challenge the biggest impostor the city has seen in Valencia CF.
Things rarely surprise in this story. Peter Lim’s return, grinning and posing with his partner Cristiano Ronaldo, while the club continues its slide in the top flight, is not shocking. Lim seems to view Valencia CF as a vehicle to reach the top, regardless of the cost to the institution, its workers, and the Valencian community. The way the entity is treated—humiliated and made to shoulder burdens—raises questions about the willingness of local leaders to confront him.
Valencia is a place where possibilities abound and where momentum often stalls. It’s a city of contradictions, bustling yet unsettled. There is no guarantee of entitlement for players who take more than they give, and there is a stubborn endurance among supporters who bear the strain and still push for accountability. Under the current dynamics, a controlling shareholder should not be allowed to manipulate outcomes so openly—and still face little resistance from those meant to oversee the club.
Yesterday, as the club battled yet another crisis sparked by the Lim and Mendes duo, a new injury to a player who failed a medical exam was announced. The largest shareholder left with a smile and a nod to media symbols, while Layhoon, the employee sidelined in a complex web of ownership, faces whatever comes next. This moment embodies the fear and frustration already felt by Valencian society about Lim and his partners, and the anger grows as the pattern repeats.
There is a belief that courage has been scarce here. Where the club has ignored civil rights, stifled press access, harassed fans, and censored voices, the response has often been muted. Valencia has lived with politicians who tolerate heavy-handed business figures when they are local; the result is a city divided, with loyalties stretched and a sense that the stakes are higher than ever for the club and its supporters.
The history of the last four years clearly points to a future shaped by the choices of the people at the helm. The fight to avoid relegation is no surprise given the power dynamics at play. Lim’s strategy appears not to hinge on the sport itself but on the constant debate over whether to sell or hold, a debate that has stretched for too long and has left the bank, authorities, and fans attempting to force a resolution long overdue.
In Valencia, the conversation continues. A chorus of hashtags and headlines will probably emerge again, as some celebrate what they see as resilience and others brace for the next wave of upheaval. The city watches, waits, and weighs the costs of inaction against the price of reform. The summer may bring renewed scrutiny and sharper questions about ownership, governance, and the role of international investment in a club that represents a community larger than itself.
Héctor Gómez
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