Valencia fractured in August: fans and team pulling in opposite directions

Valencia approaches the preseason wounded. After falling 1-2 to Newcastle in the Naranja Trophy, Diakhaby, one of the captains, sent out a warning: "We need the fans to be more united with us and with the club." The words reflect an uncomfortable truth: we're in August and the team is already broken.

The tension is nothing new. The jeers at Corberán that marked last season returned at the presentation with chants of "Corberán resign." According to MARCA, the club and fans are sailing in opposite directions: promised reinforcements never arrived, signings are conspicuously absent, and the team still lacks a footballing project after a year and a half under the coach. His renewal has triggered a backlash in the stands.

The mood is tense with two weeks still to go before competitive action starts. Although the fans responded by almost filling Mestalla in search of hope for this farewell to the stadium, the reality is harsh: improvisation on and off the pitch. The dressing room pleads for clemency, but the friction between club, team, and supporters looks set to last.