Aguirre returns to LaLiga, huge task to save Valencia from the drop | OneFootball

Javier Aguirre returns to the LaLiga dugouts. After his stint with the Mexican National Team at the 2026 World Cup, the Mexican coach accepted the challenge of saving Valencia, who are going through a difficult start to the season and currently sit second from bottom in the standings.

For “El Vasco,” the decision also represents an opportunity to return to a kind of football he knows deeply and in which he has built much of his career.

“Possibly, it’s an addiction. I’ve spent 48 years with it and 50 in football—draw your own conclusions,” Aguirre admitted before traveling to Spain.

The Mexican arrives on a contract through the end of the season, and his main objective will be to move Valencia away from the relegation zone.

He turned down four offers before choosing Valencia

Aguirre had been without a team for just over a month when he received the offer from the Spanish club. During that period, the coach considered different options and turned down four offers from different countries, including one from Mexico.

The decision to return to Spain also had a personal side.

“I was talking about it with Silvia, and we were in limbo about whether to leave it once and for all, because we had turned down four offers from different countries, including Mexico, and in the end we chose this one because we’ve spent many years in Spain, we have deep roots there because my children grew up there, I spent 15 seasons there, and it will be a good finishing touch to my personal career.”

In the end, Valencia’s project convinced him.

“We sorted it out in five minutes”

The negotiations between Aguirre and Valencia were much quicker than one might imagine.

The coach revealed that his arrival at Mestalla was practically wrapped up in a matter of minutes.

“As always, with great enthusiasm. I always want to help and work, and this time everything fell into place. I didn’t have a team, they called me, and we sorted it out in five minutes.”

This will be Aguirre’s seventh spell as a club manager in Spanish football, a competition in which he has already coached teams such as Osasuna, Atlético de Madrid, Zaragoza, Espanyol, Leganés, and Mallorca.

A Valencia side that needs to respond

The challenge will not be easy. Valencia have picked up just four points after seven matches and are second from bottom in the table.

Aguirre arrives precisely to try to change that dynamic and prevent one of Spanish football’s historic clubs from becoming embroiled in a relegation battle.

The Mexican, however, is used to taking on difficult projects and arrives convinced there is still room to turn things around.

“There is always pressure in the world. Of course, today I’m going to a Spanish team, a strong and important one, and I’m going to try to do well. That’s how I’ve lived for 30 years in football.”

Aguirre keeps his coaching staff

One of the first moves surrounding his arrival was the addition of part of his trusted staff.

Aguirre explained that he already had an agreement with Pol Lorente, who had worked with him during different stages and later joined the structure of the Mexican National Team.

“That’s always how we work. I’m someone who respects processes and projects, and in this case I arrived with several people, seven, and I’m only bringing two with me: Paul Lorente and Tony Amor. We’ve spent years together, we understand each other, and we know each other well.”

The objective: bring Valencia back

Aguirre’s contract only covers the rest of the season, but the Mexican coach arrives with a mission that goes beyond immediately picking up points.

His objective is to save Valencia from the relegation zone and begin restoring the prominence of one of Spanish football’s historic clubs.

After turning down four offers and even considering the possibility of bringing his coaching career to an end, El Vasco once again chose the path he knows best: managing.

Now he will have to prove once again that he can change the course of a team in trouble.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.