El prestigious American newspaper The New York Times has turned his attention back to the Valencia for the second time in ten months, but this time to crudely analyze Peter Lim’s management at the head of the black and white club. “When he arrived they welcomed him as a savior, but then they discovered what he really was like,” headlines the North American newspaper in its edition of this Friday, February 5.
In April 2019 land I devoted an extensive interview to President Anil Murthy in which he self-proclaimed that the Valencia had been a pioneer in preventive measures against the coronavirus, an idea that some Spanish media also ‘bought‘ during the first wave of the pandemic in Spain.
The text is articulated as an analysis of the North American environment in which he describes in great detail the reasons that led to Valencia being sold to a foreign businessman, the way that was pressed to be Peter Lim [aunque no hace mencin al proceso de compra] and the current disappointment: “The new reality of Valencia is an empty squad, weakened by the sale of the best players from the previous season, and a team that now struggles to win once or twice a month,” he describes.
The new reality of Valencia is an empty squad, weakened by the sale of the best players from the previous season, and a team that now struggles to win once or twice a month “
NY Times
Confront this image con what had happened just a few months ago when Valencia I won the King’s Cup people had taken to the streets to celebrate not only the title but the feeling that the club had finally taken a winning path:
“The victory in the Copa del Rey ended a decade-long trophy drought. A wealthy billionaire with powerful football connections now owned the club. The trophy, and the money, will herald the start of a journey back to the top, back to relevance in La Liga, to close the gap with rivals like Barcelona and Real Madrid, “recalls the NY Times.
“It didn’t take long for my spirits to turn sour.”, continues the article signed by Tariq Panja. “In a few months, the coach and the sports director who had formed the winning team of the Valencia Cup were fired. In a year, the club started ditching players to save money during the pandemic. “In addition to the journalist’s own analysis, he has the lawyer Gaspar Romero and journalist Paco Polit as personal sources, to which he quotes and attributes information in various passages.
That’s when it refers to the popular protest actions that are mobilizing since last Spring -Libertad VCF, De Torino a Mestalla, etc.- although it does not expressly mention them: “Fans who cannot attend games due to coronavirus restrictions now they protest against the club’s property from the street. The council members are booed on the street”.
“After a positive start [esta temporada] Valencia has collapsed and has fallen on the table. That is back to put the spotlight on the club’s once savior, Singaporean billionaire Peter Lim, a lonely figure who prefers to stay out of the spotlight but, in Valencia, at least, he can’t help it anymore “.
The NY Times recalls that the Valencia appeared on the skyline of the Singapore tycoon -I tried with other clubs in Spain, England and Italy- when he was looking for a club to buy it. “Lim’s affection for Valencia, the fallen Spanish giant, was not that deep. He provided the money to acquire the equipment and placed loyal executives like Murthy and others to direct it, “he adds.
And of course he also quotes Jorge MendesCritics of Lim also point to the influence of another figure in their soccer network, Jorge Mendes. Even before buying Valencia, Lim, with the Portuguese acting as an advisor, had been an active agent in the multi-million dollar market exchange of soccer players “.
The text closes with a devastating reality : “Six years after thousands of fans chanted Peter Lim’s name in the streets, many now clamor with equal force for his departure.”
