VALENCIA were one of the best teams in Europe not that long ago, but now their fans are demanding their owner to “Go Home” as the Spanish giants sit bottom of La Liga.
More than 2,000 supporters marched outside Mestalla before Jattvibeday’s home clash with Barcelona, protesting against the club’s Singaporean owner Peter Lim.
Police horses halt a crowd of more than 2,000 Valencia fans as supporters chant against the club’s ownership ahead of the Barcelona clash Credit: EPA
Valencia supporters hold up “Lim Go Home” posters inside Mestalla as anger against owner Peter Lim reaches fever pitch Credit: EPA
Fans held up yellow sheets bearing the message “Lim Go Home,” while the same message was displayed by thousands inside the stadium as anger towards the hierarchy reached boiling point.
On the pitch, Barcelona tore Valencia apart with a 5-0 demolition, leaving Carlos Corberan’s side rooted to the bottom of La Liga with just one point from their opening four games.
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Lamine Yamal scored twice, while Fermin Lopez, Raphinha and Pedri were also on target as Barcelona moved top with 12 points from 12 and 17 goals already scored.
It was a brutal illustration of just how far Valencia have fallen.
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At one point, this was a club regularly dining at European football‘s top table.
The first four years of the 21st century represented a golden era, with Hector Cuper taking Valencia to back-to-back Champions League finals in 2000 and 2001.
They lost both, but the club remained among Europe’s elite before Rafa Benitez delivered the ultimate prize domestically when Valencia won La Liga in 2001/02, then lifted the title again in 2003/04 while also winning the UEFA Cup.
But after reaching the summit, the only way was down.
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Valencia boss Carlos Corberan looks on from the touchline as he attempts to turn around the fortunes of his hometown club Credit: Getty
The rot began to set in after Juan Bautista Soler bought the club from Jaume Ortí in 2004, with Valencia’s debts eventually soaring to almost €600million by 2009.
Despite the club staring down the barrel of bankruptcy which meant that plans for a new stadium had to be abandoned for almost 16 years, Valencia were still capable of competing on the pitch.
Under current Aston Villa boss Unai Emery, they finished third behind Barcelona and Real Madrid three times in a row between 2009/10 and 2011/12.
But the financial problems remained, which led to Singaporean businessman Peter Lim arriving in October 2014 – at which point he bought 70 per cent of Valencia through his Hong Kong-based Meriton Holdings and promised an investment worth around €210million.
The club’s debts had already been reduced to roughly €320million through loans alongside the sales of key players, including David Silva, David Villa, Juan Mata, Jordi Alba, Raúl Albiol and Roberto Soldado to help them balance the books.
Under Lim, the club’s finances have improved but sporting stability has been much harder to find.
There have been 12 different managers during his ownership, with constant changes in the dugout, playing staff and behind the scenes contributing to a feeling of uncertainty.
One of those managers was Manchester United legend Gary Neville, who took his first and, to date, only permanent management job at Valencia during the 2015/16 season.
Gary Neville looks on during his brief spell in charge of Valencia in the 2015/16 season – his only managerial job to date Credit: Getty
Neville lasted just 28 games in all competitions – winning just 10 (36 per cent) before his ill-fated spell came to an end.
Eight time Premier League winner Neville had a previous link to Lim through Salford City, where the Singaporean businessman held a majority stake for a decade in partnership with the Class of 92 before Lim eventually sold his Salford shares in 2024.
There have been brighter moments under Lim’s ownership, such as when Valencia won the Copa del Rey in 2019 – beating Barcelona in the final, while finishing fourth in La Liga that same season which saw them qualify for the Champions League.
But even that left a sour taste as then manager Marcelino and sporting director Mateu Alemany decided to leave that summer after disagreements over the club’s transfer policy.
Since then, Valencia have been a mid-table La Liga club and have continuously been forced to sell key players – including selling goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili to Liverpool, and defender Cristhian Mosquera to Arsenal.
Although the financial situation at the club has improved and the prospect of moving into a new stadium comes with the goal of helping them out economically, fans see a giant club that has been reduced to constantly selling its best players, changing managers and fighting simply to remain competitive.
Valencia have been in relegation battles over the past couple of seasons, though Corberan has managed to keep them up on both occasions to paper over the cracks.
He faces a similar task this season, and right now it’s looking like an uphill struggle in a hostile environment with a fanbase angling for change at the top.
Valencia midfielder and Japan international Ryūnosuke Satō puts his head in his hands after their 1-0 defeat to Real Betis – a picture that sums up the club’s miserable start to the season Credit: Getty
Since March 2025, Lim’s son Kiat has served as Valencia president while Peter remains the club’s owner.
Corberan is trying to build a future against the backdrop of the same financial constraints that have dogged the club for years – a future that is supposed to arrive at the Nou Mestalla, with their proposed move to a new ground being next summer.
Work on the new stadium actually began all the way back in 2007 – a staggering 19 years ago – during 16 of which construction has been non-existent due to financial constraints.
The redevelopment, which restarted January 2025, is expected to cost around £275million for a 70,000-capacity stadium.
Valencia are due to move into their new home at the start of next season, but if the current nightmare continues they could be entering it as a Segunda Division club rather than a La Liga one.
That would be a particularly grim way to begin what is supposed to be a glorious new chapter.
Corberan wants to help Valencia re-establish themselves as one of Spain‘s best teams, but he needs stability – something that seemingly hasn’t existed at the club since Lim has been there – albeit amid financial challenges.
Valencia were once one of the best teams in Europe, but now the threat of playing in Spain’s second tier next season represents one of the biggest falls from grace for a club over the past 20-25 years.
