Gourlay: "We understand the frustration and want to give the fans back what they deserve"

Ron Gourlay, CEO of Football for Valencia CF, gave an extensive press conference to discuss the current situation at the club after 8 games played in 2025/26.

“I would like to say that in the last press conference we made it very clear what our line of communication would be, and I said that I would speak when I felt there was a need to speak, on behalf of the presidency and the board. Today is a day in which I have to speak. In recent matches, I have felt a certain amount of frustration starting to build among Valencia CF fans and the media, and I want the message to be very clear: we understand their frustration, we feel their pain as a club, and we want to give the fans what they deserve. We understand the frustration of Valencia CF fans when things don't go as we would like, but we have to understand that we are in a period of transition and there are many ups and downs. We must unite, persevere, and continue to strive to succeed.

The message for the fans is very clear: we have to be united, with the same unity we see within the club, and we must continue to strive for more every day. It's something I see in the players. They are not at all happy when the expected results don't come. But we have to work on things in training, and we have identified what the challenges are. Football is always a question of small details, and we're trying to address them. I've been in the world of football for many years. The team aren’t where we deserve to be in the table, but we're all very clear about our goals, and I have no doubt we'll evolve as a team. We're in a transitional phase. Our coach and players did a great job last season. The unity within the club is fantastic, and I have no doubt they'll achieve the same kind of campaign this season. I understand the frustration, but in football, the key is in the details. We're united and have absolute confidence in our coach and players. We'll get through this. We're not where we want to be, but we have to remember that we're in the early stages of the season. We started the season very well at Mestalla. When we played Real Sociedad, we should have won, but we beat Getafe CF and Athletic Club. We've had some poor performances away from home, which are due to different reasons: Lack of competitiveness or occasional individual errors. However, these can be improved over time. There are also many new players at the club, and it takes time to adapt. Judging the season now is not the right thing to do, based on my experience. Several of my teams started the season poorly, and two of them won the European and Asian Champions League trophies. We have to judge things at the end of the season because I'm sure we won't finish the campaign where we are now."

His diagnosis of the team

“We have to look at the complete picture. Some 22 deals were completed this summer. This has meant that we were already having difficulties before the first game. Everything is decided by very small details, and we have to analyse different aspects: Game management, why we concede in the final minutes, aggression, commitment… the players are committed, but we have to show it every minute; there are no easy games. Game management needs to improve, but we also have to understand that there are new players trying to establish themselves. We undoubtedly have a lot of quality, and we have to learn to kill off games when we're winning them. We have many players adapting, and I'm sure we'll achieve that.”

Objectives

“When I arrived, I was very aware of the scale of this club. Both Valencia CF and Manchester United bear the same name as the community they are based in, which is why they are very important entities. I am aware of this and I take full responsibility. The club have a board of directors that do an excellent job, which sometimes goes unnoticed from the outside. I'm always asked about the goal of reaching Europe; before answering, you have to understand where we're coming from. Obviously, Valencia CF are one of the most demanding clubs to be at. I'm very aware of that. I see the faces of the people when we lose and when we win. We have to understand where we're coming from as a club compared to previous seasons. Each person has their role, and as for the players and everyone who works at the club, I can assure you that they want to return to European football, but that merit has to be earned by competing every day. Of course, we want to take Valencia CF back to past glories. We have to keep in mind that the Nou Mestalla is very close to becoming a reality, and we want to have an excellent squad by the time we can open it. To do that, we only have four transfer windows left. It won't be easy, but we'll get there, and every player wants to play in Europe. Our mission is to improve and be judged at the end of the season. Here I am, eight games in, to face the frustration that we can sense in the air. We need time, and we're here to work. We're all committed and want the club to do well, and I'm sure we'll achieve that. I can't promise that we will get into Europe, but our ambition is to continue growing as a club, which is why we've brought in players. Obviously, no one wants to talk about relegation. The key is to stabilise the situation and, from there, continue improving. I've already seen improvements, and this team will continue to make the club grow. We want to climb the table and be judged at the end of the season. It's important to recognise where we are in order to set realistic goals. In our league, it's difficult to benchmark our performance against the four or five clubs that have the most spending power. We should be competing with the other clubs. With a stadium of the calibre of the Nou Mestalla, Valencia CF have to be competing in Europe. We know the deadlines and what that means. We're working so this team can guarantee that we're in Europe at the Nou Mestalla."

The strategic plan

“Tomorrow I'll have been here for three months. Some 80% of that time the transfer window has been open, we've been very busy with that. Our plan doesn't just focus on results, but also on the club's infrastructure and the future, thinking a hundred years ahead, and five, ten years ahead. This plan includes recruitment, the VCF Academy, and the Nou Mestalla. The new stadium was one of the reasons I came here, because I'm aware of what this source of income means. If we look at other clubs, we see the enormous importance of their youth systems, and it's the only key to the sustainability of a football club: developing local talent, something Valencia CF have done very well. My job is to think in the short and long term. We have to have a clear perspective of what a player is today. We're not just talking about physical or tactical aspects, but also medical aspects, mental well-being... all of this is important when it comes to recruitment. The use of data is also important. As Carlos Corberán says, we have to be competitive. Not only on the pitch, but also off it. I'm a football man, and I know the situation we're in. As of today, it's not enough, but I have full confidence in the players, coach, and staff."

The social context

“I would tell people to trust me. I've worked with some very big clubs, some very big coaches and players. It's about trusting the club. In the past, certain decisions have been made in a context I wasn't involved in. I see many people working every day who care deeply about Valencia CF. They've had a very hard time, but they've continued working, and we all want the club to continue growing. I have complete confidence in the coach; he's a true Valencia CF fan and will do everything possible for the club, just like other employees. My relationship with the president is very fluid; we talk practically every day, we share the same values, and we're here together. I promise the fans that I understand and respect what Valencia CF are all about, and I assume the responsibility that corresponds to me. I also hope other people at the club do the same; we all have our share of responsibility. Making promises in football is something that should be avoided. We must give our all, offer aggression, and bravery; that's something we want to see at the club. I will be judged at the end of the season, and the fans have the right to do that. I ask that we remain calm and that we establish goals that we can meet. I need you, the board, and the presidency to be with me, but I can't honour promises that have been made in the past."

The relationship with the players

“We're in the early stages of this transitional phase. We have a coach who is very capable of handling any issue at a dressing room level. I'm there supporting him every day and we talk every day -not only with him but with the medical team, the VCF Academy director... it's very important and demonstrates the tremendous unity of this club. I understand the disappointment with the results, but they will come eventually. I have complete confidence in the team. This isn't the time to point fingers.”

Demand within the squad

“In the game against Real Oviedo, we were winning and had a penalty, but we missed it and were punished. Mestalla is unique, an incredible place, but it's also a very difficult stadium mentally when mistakes are made. As we say in England, we should have 'killed games off.’ It's always about small details, we have to analyze them, and we're doing just that. We have two weeks ahead in which we hope to grow as a club.”

Authority in the dressing room

“I want to underline that Corberán has the full support of the club. There is no player who wants to give him problems. That is not the mentality of our club and it is not allowed here. I believe in the players, as does the majority shareholder. My message to Valencia CF fans is that I understand their frustration, but we need that 12th man, which is the fans. I've seen that this works. We don't have to worry. The environment at the club is perfectly controlled and there is no animosity. Everyone supports what we are trying to achieve. Our fans are spectacular; we respect their opinions. On behalf of the club, I would like to ask for trust so that our work can be judged at the end of the season -and not now with eight games played.”

The sporting structure

“After one or two months, we'll begin working on activating the recruitment program. It's an ongoing process that affects the VCF Academy, especially the performance department. We have plans to continue developing young talent. This process still has a couple of months left, and we'll decide based on that.”

The VCF Academy

“We had four players in the Spanish Under-21 national team at the European Championships, and we renewed three of them. The top clubs in European football sell their homegrown talent be they Chelsea FC, Liverpool FC, or Manchester City. It's all through Financial Fair Play, as it generates revenue, and the key is for these young players to continue emerging within the club and to have a good recruitment department that works hand in hand with the academy to get them into the first team. The days of clubs spending hundreds of millions of euros are over. Very few of them can do that. As for selling academy players, if we have the right system, we'll have more and more players coming through to the first team. Some will come up, others will leave. It's all part of the process, and to continue developing the VCF Academy we need money. We're very aware of the players who have come through here, but it's increasingly difficult to retain players at clubs. Our commitment is that when they leave, they do so under the conditions stipulated by the club.”

Meriton Holdings

“I came here to fulfill a role, and I can't judge the past. I've been given the tools to continue to make Valencia CF grow, as evidenced by the investment made this summer. We're working together to achieve our goals. I can't judge what was done years ago. We have the full commitment of the board, the full support of the president, and we will continue to make the club grow.”

The transfer market

“We worked hard in the summer, analysing different positions, always fitting the coach's needs. We worked as a team, coach, sporting director... it's about bringing in players that your budget allows. We managed to bring in Danjuma and Lucas Beltrán up front. The goal is to build a team for the future, keeping in line with the coach's style. I'm very happy with the work we did in the summer.”

The fans

“We are in a very important transitional phase for the club, and the fans are very important to us. I see them travelling to away games, coming to Mestalla, the energy they bring to the team, but we need patience to keep moving forward. It's an honour to be here; I'm very emotional, and I get excited when I see the fans. It's something I try to convey to the coach and the squad, that we have to use this energy that Mestalla transmits to us. It's difficult, but the only possible future is with the fans onside. If we do our job, I'm sure we will move forward as a club. We can only achieve this together because the club represent the fans, the city, and the community, and this comes with enormous responsibility. I'm very optimistic about what I see. I believe in the coach and the players. I have all the support I need to keep growing; we just need results. I can't give specific deadlines, but we will see improvements every day, and from there, we will evaluate the next steps. I have the full support of the board and the presidency, and we have the responsibility to ensure this team continues to improve. I see the light at the end of the tunnel.”