The day Celta played at an empty Mestalla | OneFootball

On 21 May 2022, Celta found Mestalla almost empty for 19 minutes as thousands of Valencia fans boycotted the stands on the final matchday.

As reported by AS, until minute 19 the stands were sparse while the real noise rolled in from Avenida de Suecia. Many supporters stayed outside to protest Peter Lim and Meriton Holdings.

Chants carried onto the pitch. More people demonstrated outside than watched inside. Eduardo Coudet's side were bystanders.

This was no one-off. Months of anger had built, and leaked audios of Anil Murthy that week inflamed feeling, prompting a mass rally built around the slogan 'Lim, go home'.

Valencia won 2-0, Maxi Gómez scoring on 27 minutes before a second-half own goal by Néstor Araújo. Even the goals did not change the narrative.

The timing added symbolism, the protest coincided with Peter Lim's birthday. Hours earlier Mestalla had turned 99.

It was a scene unlike anything in the stadium's long story, despite finals, a World Cup, an Olympics, the 1957 flood and the pandemic's silence.

For Celta it was a rare experience, beginning a top-flight match with the focus far from the football. It remains one of the most striking protests in recent Valencia history.

Source: AS

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”