Gourlay: “The club needs stability, we need to keep working the way we are working now” | OneFootball

Ron Gourlay, CEO of Football at Valencia CF, talked to the media on Thursday to analyse current sporting matters and transfer activity at the club.

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

The result against Athletic Club

“We are all very disappointed. The pre-match atmosphere was exceptional. The match didn't go as we had hoped, but we have to keep working hard. The fans were incredible. It was a very important game, and the reception for the players was outstanding.”

The winter transfer window

“We are very satisfied with the work that we’ve. We had set a series of objectives in December with the new structure. On January 3rd, things changed, obviously. The aim was to sign a striker, a defensive midfielder, and a centre-back, but Agirrezabala's injury forced us to change things from January 5th onwards. We signed Sadiq, but then we held talks regarding a defensive midfielder and a left-sided centre-back, which later changed to a right-sided one due to Diakhaby's injury. The other two players we were tracking were Guido and Unai, and we signed them; they will strengthen the team.”

Confidence in Carlos Corberán

“Carlos is the coach, and I have complete confidence in the entire team. We've strengthened several positions, and I'm confident we'll continue to make progress. As I said when I arrived here, I'm at the training ground every day, I meet with the coach and his staff, and I see the work being done each day. We need to find stability, and that's not achieved by constantly changing the coach. That's my opinion, supported by the Board, and we're seeing that things are improving. We have to continue down this path, and the results will come.

It's important to add that the coach is always an easy target in the world of football, but I also take full responsibility as a representative of the club. When I arrived, I already understood the situation, and that's why I take full responsibility. It's not just about the coach, the staff, or the players; everyone at the club takes responsibility. We have to keep working as a team, through good times and bad times. The club needs stability, and that's achieved by working the way we are working now.”

The team’s situation

“Of course, I still have faith in the coach, but we need to understand the difference between patience and stability. Patience must be based on action; it takes time and results. From day one, I've spoken about the transfer windows. We're not just bringing in key players for now, but for the future. It's important to understand that patience is not the same as stability, and what this club need is stability. I hope you can see the changes we're making, but the reality is what it is; our position in the table right now is what it is.”

The upcoming summer transfer window

“I've already spoken about the progress we're aiming for at this club and in the project for the Nou Mestalla. It's important to compete at that level, and that remains the plan. We're already working with the summer transfer market in mind. We've already signed De Haas, and we have another player very close to joining. It's all part of the new approach, of identifying talent early on. It's a transition that's happening at the club and has the full support of the President.”

Results

“There’s no magic wand in football. We made a lot of changes in the summer, with 23 transactions in two months. This is all part of the learning process. When I arrived, we analysed the strengths and weaknesses, and this takes time. The transition is underway; I see the changes every day. I’m not going to lie and say we already have the final picture of what we were looking for. We need more time, and that’s why I spoke about four transfer windows back then.

It hurts us too; it isn’t an easy atmosphere when you lose. But you have to recover quickly and focus on the next match. I understand the frustration, but we have to stay on track. We have to stay strong, and I’m sure the results will come. I have faith in the team and their commitment. The club need stability.”

Decisions regarding young players

“They are very important to us. In the summer, we invested in several young players, some of whom were part of the Spain Under-21s side. We're talking about three contract renewals, and this is essential for maintaining stability for the future. Regarding their development; Almeida and Javi Guerra possess enormous talent, but it's the coach who chooses the starting eleven. It's not about performance in a single game, but rather in all of the training sessions and matches. At the club, we've instilled competitiveness in training so that no position is guaranteed. We recently saw the case of Ugrinic, and when someone drops out of the starting XI, they then have to work very hard to get back in. That's why clubs have 25 players registered, and not 18.”

New signings

“In terms of the players we signed in the winter transfer window: Sadiq has already played some minutes, and Guido was ill for the last game, but he came on in the second half last night. The same goes for Unai. It's all a process of integration and getting them up to speed. They will be a very important part of this club in the future.”

The club’s project

“This is a project, and we need stability. We all have our role to play, and we are all judged by our performance. As for the project and the Nou Mestalla, everything is progressing according to schedule. Corberán is going to stay, and so will I. We aren't thinking about relegation. We always look upwards in the table. Right now, we are fighting alongside 12 other clubs, and we have to beat them. We have to continue planning for the future, but also remain positive as a club. It will be the 25 players who allow the club to continue improving, and they know this. They have to be at their best, and I'm sure they will be. We will make sure we keep moving forward.”

Conversations with the players

“The first thing is that I don’t go into the dressing room to talk to the players individually. I’m at the training ground every day, as well as in the office. There’s no bad relationship in the dressing room. The players are aware of the project and that they are an integral part of it. There are no problems between the players and the coach. Obviously, the players don’t like not playing. We like to see that the players don’t like not getting minutes. I’m there every day and I talk to them every day, but I’m not the one who chooses the lineups; that’s the coach’s job. I talk to the players, I share my opinion, and the people at the club know the situation.”

Sporting structure

“I already spoke about the sporting structure in October. The first phase of the changes is now complete, and we plan to fill a position specifically dedicated to the Spanish market in the immediate future, but doing so during the transfer window isn't the right approach. That will be done in Phase 2, within one to two months (30 to 60 days). As for Corberán, he's the coach, and his role is to coach the team. We've built a whole infrastructure around him that's responsible for identifying players who fit Valencia CF's philosophy, but we're still in a transition phase.”

“We changed the model because I saw that we needed to change how we viewed the football market. The key is identifying players before they become stars, because we can't spend millions on players. To do this, it's important to strengthen our data intelligence. Regarding the sporting director position, it's a bit different because it's an intermediate position between mine and the coach's. We're still analysing it, but right now, we can't make any announcements.”

Need for player sales in the summer

“No sales are needed.”

Investment in the transfer market

“From the very beginning, I received the support of the Board and the President, both in the summer and winter transfer windows. We have invested €10 million. The three players who have come in will improve the team. De Haas is a great player too. We have been very active and have improved the squad.”