RON GOURLAY: "BETWEEN US ALL, WE CAN GET VALENCIA CF BACK TO WHERE THE CLUB BELONG"

Ron Gourlay, CEO of Football at Valencia CF, spoke to the media at Mestalla on Wednesday to review the club's summer transfer market activity and more. 

Opening Message

Good morning, everyone. It's a pleasure to be here. I hope to rise to the challenges ahead, but I'm surrounded by a good team and I hope to contribute my experience from now on. When they called me to come to Valencia CF, I had no hesitation. Valencia CF are a great club, with great potential; it's a global club. I've been fortunate to take on challenges at clubs like Manchester United throughout my career, and now I'm extremely fortunate to be coming to Valencia CF. I'm looking forward to what the future holds. I think it's a bright future, and we're eager to work towards that future. What I can bring to the club is my experience at many levels and in many countries. I'm a very ambitious person, a responsible person who came here for this project.
I see many young faces and other faces that are older, like mine, but above all I want to see happy faces at this football club. Together, we can return this club to the level they deserve to be at. Why am I here at this point in my career? First, it's the project. I believe in this project; it's a project for the future. The second is the Nou Mestalla. All the big clubs have modern stadiums, and this should be the case here as well. The third reason is Carlos Corberán. I've worked with him before, I know him, I know what he can bring, I know his passion, his integrity, and his commitment. He's capable of getting the most out of the players. We need resources, of course, but we need someone capable of getting the most out of them. Not everything will be achieved in one season; we'll need time, and I hope you'll all soon see the changes at Valencia CF.

What Peter Lim wants from Valencia CF

It's a good question to start with. The majority shareholder wants the club to move forward. We've seen this through the new president and the support he's given me in recent weeks. We've seen it in the signings and also in the young players who are the future of the team. You can't build a project for the future without these players. I have ambitions for the club; I'm someone who has come from a successful background, and I believe we have a lot of work to do. I'm a person who speaks openly. If I speak, I'm telling the truth; if you read it elsewhere and it doesn't come from the club, maybe it isn't the truth.

We need our fans on board. We have to believe we can change the situation. I've seen the change that has occurred with Carlos Corberán's arrival, which was a huge change in a difficult situation. The players won the games they needed to win, and now we have a foundation from which we can build. Since I arrived, I've felt great support, I have a lot of confidence in the potential of this club. I've worked at other clubs before, and I know what it takes to achieve success. Last year we were in survival mode; right now the situation is different. I know that words don't matter; what matters are actions. I take responsibility; I know what I have to do. I don't want to give a timescale for changing the situation; it probably won't be a few months, maybe a little longer. And I wanted to reiterate, regarding the presidency and the Board of Directors, that we are all aligned.

How long it will be before a return to the elite of European football

It's important to bring ambition to clubs. I've been fortunate to work with the best managers and win two Champions League titles on two continents. I'm a realistic person. I'm not negative, but you have to be realistic. The first question I ask myself at a club is whether we're being realistic. The worst thing is to not be realistic. When I arrived and met with Corona, we saw what we could do. We've brought in five players, and we have to keep the young players to create for the future. It's not always possible, but I think good work has been done since I arrived, and the coach has been given resources, and now he has to get results. I wanted to say a couple of things: Players who don't want to be here won't stay, but will leave the club on the terms set by Valencia CF. Secondly, I want the players to give 200% on the pitch. We're working to build quality and a good squad. I'm here to take the club back to where it belongs, that's why it's important to work. 

His relationship with Kiat Lim

As CEO of Football, I'm in constant communication with the president and the Board of Directors. We share ideas, we communicate daily, as at other previous clubs, we're always in touch and we work to ensure they understand our decision-making process. I've received support at all times and complete trust from the presidency.

Guarantees to continue to have the tools to make decisions

There are no guarantees in football. In football, there's hard work and effort, and we have a plan. We're putting that plan into action. I'm not here to talk about the past; I can't change the past. What I can say is that I believe we can turn the club's situation around. I don't believe that this football club don't want to turn things around. I've been to Mestalla several times; I know the club and the stadium; it's difficult to come here as an opposing team. We must all work together to turn the situation around -on and off the pitch. If not, the same story will repeat itself. The president, the majority shareholder, the coach, and my entire team all want the best. When I arrived in Saudi Arabia, there were doubts, and in the end, we won the Asian Champions League for the first time in history. You have to judge your work by your results.

Cristhian Mosquera's departure

I was speaking generally about players leaving, not individual cases. I want to talk about Valencia CF and not other clubs. When I arrived, I looked at Mosquera's situation, and I understand that the question is whether the club did enough. He's a great guy, but the decision to leave was made by him and his agent a long time ago. He made it clear he wanted to leave the club. When a situation like this arises, you have to do what's right for the team and the club. We have committed players, which we have seen with the latest arrivals; new players who arrive with great enthusiasm and who know that they are joining a great club.

How the club will operate in the medium term

I think that since I arrived, I've dedicated 100% of my time to the transfer market, along with Corona, the sporting director. We've put in many hours of work and have achieved good results. It's early; perhaps for this question. The club also have the very good VCF Academy, as we've seen in recent years. It's not fair to talk about structures or personnel; my sporting director is my sporting director. Many cornerstones are needed to build a football club. We need to study how this infrastructure works: The VCF Academy, the transfer operations, the players... all from a 360-degree perspective. We will look at their well-being, their training, their health... Everything requires an analysis. It may need a small adjustment, but we're not far off. We have one of the best coaches in Europe, and we just have to define some working processes at the club. I'm the first CEO of Football here, and I think I need a little more time to understand the different roles. One of the most important tasks is recruitment; if done well, it can work very well, and if done poorly, it can cause problems. We have resources, we use data, and we must continue working to expand our network.

Valencia CF's objective this season

First of all, regarding my arrival: The presentation and announcement were in Singapore, and my arrival in Valencia was on July 7th. This was always the intention when it was announced that I would be arriving. There were contractual issues to resolve. It has nothing to do with tax issues. When you sign for a club like Valencia CF, what you want is to get there as soon as possible.

Regarding the objective: European football is a goal, but there are different stages needed in order to get there. I'm happy with the work we've done; there's still work to be done, and in England, there's a saying that "the fabric you can buy is based on your budget." We're going to work hard to move forward and see where we can be at the end of the season.

Conversations with Peter Lim

From the first meetings we held, his commitment and ambition were evident. Corberán was also in Singapore. We all agree on the project and we've seen the commitment of the president and the majority shareholder. We're working with a plan in mind. It's easy to say the market has been slow, but we've worked constantly and done the things that needed to be done. We've brought in quality players, and it was also very important to ensure that several young players stayed; players for the future like Guerra and Tárrega. Everything takes time. I'm here to talk about the progress we've made; that's what we're doing, and I'm comfortable with the results. How many clubs have been able to sign so many players and renew so many contracts? I want this to be transmitted to the fans; we need them to get behind the team. I'm someone who welcomes criticism; nothing is perfect in football. What counts is the result of the last match, and it's a blessing to work for the future of this club.

Whether he has the final say on closing deals

It all goes back to the moment I gave my approval to come here. Together with the sporting director, Corona, we developed a plan for the first team. It was presented to the president, and we said what we needed. It's what we're working on to get the team back to the top. We've finalised the signing of a goalkeeper, a centre back, two midfielders, and a striker—key positions for the team, given the weaknesses we've identified. Santamaría gives us competitiveness, and Danjuma will bring energy to our attack. We've had the full support of the president and the majority shareholder, and we're working on this. Perhaps we can do more while the transfer market remains open. We're confident that they're the right decisions.

Regarding decision-making, I want to emphasise that at any club I've been at—and I've been in football for 35 years now—my team and I present a proposal, and the signing is approved from the top. I'm happy with the system. It's also a good system for the coach, who is up to date on absolutely everything. We meet every day with him, with Corona, Javier Solís, the president...

His analysis of the squad

I speak a lot with Corona about this topic. Perhaps there's an opportunity to add another player, but this won't all be achieved in a single transfer window. Everything will depend on whether we find the right player. If we didn't sign anyone else and LALIGA started today, we'd have a competitive squad right now. We'll continue to keep our options open and will be vigilant. The project has to be thought of as being for two to three years. We have performance milestones, and we have to take the VCF Academy into account to develop our talent. I'm happy with the situation we have with the squad today.

A possible increase in budget

Regarding the budget, it's also determined based on performance. Since I joined, we've received the green light on virtually every occasion, obtained the requested resources, and received a quick response from the presidency. Regarding FPF, I'm one of those who believe it's there for the right reasons: to ensure financial stability and allow all clubs to work within their means and guarantee their future. The more success on the pitch, the more money. At the end of the season, we'll conduct an analysis of the needs for the following season and make decisions..

The future for Diego López, Sergi Canós, and Hugo Guillamón

Hugo Guillamón and Sergi Canós are Valencia CF players. Regarding Diego López, we are very close to reaching an agreement for his renewal.

The match between FC Barcelona and Villarreal CF going to Miami

It's something I've heard about. On the one hand, there are the commercial benefits, and on the other, the fans, who wouldn't watch a match in Valencia. These types of matches are a source of income that can be reinvested in the club, and it's a virtuous circle. It's a complex issue; you have to find the balance between the commercial side and the fans. And I want the fans to be happy. We have to expand the club's commercial reach, for sure, because this provides more income. We saw, for example, the Club World Cup prize money this summer. It's important for Chelsea FC to have that money, but this is certainly a complex issue.

The difference between a CEO of Football and a Sporting Director? 

The CEO is in charge of all areas, including the coach... And the sporting director is in charge of the first team and the VCF Academy. As I said, the sporting director will work on recruitment, while the CEO will also work on strategy. Where are Valencia CF headed? I'd probably get 10 different answers if I asked that. What are the goals? The resources? That's my area. It's also key to work on the development plan for the future of the club and focus on the strategy, both on and off the pitch. There are many things that influence this, and we could talk for hours about it.

How and when he met Peter Lim

I met him 20 years ago, when I was working for Manchester United. Afterwards, we kept in touch a bit, but not much. I got back in touch with him a few months ago.

As for me, since I was a child in Scotland. I played semi-professionally until I suffered a knee injury, then I started working for clubs in different countries. Football is my life.

Clarity, transparency, and openness with the media

We're here to work together; that's what we want. I know it's difficult. Communication is key.

The fans' discontent not being due to poor sporting results

This is something I've experienced at other football clubs. If people understand the decision-making and where the team are headed, things will improve. I know there's discontent; the key to success is on the pitch, and with that success, we hope to reorientate and turn the situation around. I hope the fans can see these changes; the season is just around the corner.

The Grada de Animación

I'm familiar with the situation; I know there was a meeting yesterday. It's very important to find a positive solution for all parties. I understand the situation. What's important is that it's a situation where the rules are followed. If so, then we can go ahead. The players need this energy.

His plan at Valencia CF

We want to improve and develop the club. We've been working in the transfer market, and I don't want to say anything that could change later..