Javier Aguirre takes charge at Valencia and leads first training session in Paterna

Javier Aguirre is already in charge at Valencia. The Mexican coach landed at Manises airport and went straight to the Paterna training ground to lead his first session with the squad, just hours after the club officially announced his appointment. At 67, he faces the task of lifting a side sitting in the relegation zone with only four points from the first seven LaLiga matches.

• Aguirre landed in Manises and headed straight to Paterna for his first training session.
• The coach signed until the end of the season, with an option for an extra year if Valencia reach the Europa League.
• Valencia are in the relegation zone with four points from seven games and just one win.
• His staff includes Pol Lorente as fitness coach and Toni Amor as assistant coach.
• His official presentation at Mestalla is scheduled for next Monday.

Aguirre's first day in Valencia: from the airport straight to Paterna

The Mexican coach wasted no time. After a journey that included a connection in Madrid's Barajas airport and made him arrive slightly behind schedule, he reached the training ground before late morning. His assistants Pol Lorente, fitness coach, and Toni Amor, assistant coach, had been on site since early morning to prepare everything for his arrival. The session was due to start at 10:30 am.

Despite the travel, Aguirre kept his trademark sense of humor. Asked whether Valencia could be his last big challenge on the bench, he turned to one of his classic replies, referencing his wife: "Whatever Silvia says, she's the boss". It was a remark that summed up his approach, somewhere between approachable charm and the experience built over fifteen seasons in Spanish football.

The squad Aguirre inherits at Valencia

The new coach's assessment was direct. Aguirre said the Valencia squad has "a lot of individual quality" and players "who should not be suffering", while acknowledging that "circumstances are what they are". His plan is to maximize collective performance and make the most of the available talent: "There are things to do, we are always here to work".

The institution, the history, the history. I have spent 15 seasons in Spain and every time I came to play in Valencia, wow! It was a fortress and that's what I want it to be again, right? Make it very hard for any rival to get something here.

That idea of restoring Mestalla as a stronghold defines his early message. Aguirre wants playing at Valencia to become a serious problem for any opponent, in line with the reputation the stadium built during its best recent eras.

Why Valencia turned to Aguirre

The decision follows the plan laid out by sporting director Braulio Vázquez, who sought a coach with deep LaLiga experience and a proven record in tricky situations near the bottom of the table. Aguirre explained that he has not been in contact with president Kiat Lim and that his only conversations to close the deal were with Braulio. He described his arrival with three words: "desire, wrinkles and a huge desire to return to Spanish football".

The manager, who has coached Osasuna, Atlético Madrid, Zaragoza, Espanyol, Leganés and Mallorca in LaLiga, makes his return to Spanish football after spells abroad at club and international level. His last job was with the Mexico national team, which he led at the 2026 World Cup. In Spain, his reputation has been built largely on rescue missions and avoiding relegation under extreme pressure.

The contract and the terms of his Valencia deal

Aguirre has signed until the end of the current season, with a clause that extends the agreement for one more year if he guides Valencia into the Europa League. The scope for improvement is wide: the team is enduring one of its most difficult moments in recent years and has collected just four points from the start of the campaign.

The Valencia Aguirre takes over: relegation, Corberán's exit and restructuring

The Valencia bench has been through turbulent weeks. Poor form cost Carlos Corberán his job, and the interim spell of Óscar Sánchez produced the team's first and only win of the season so far. The changes in the sporting department also claimed the jobs of football CEO Ron Gourlay and head of medical services Pedro López Mateu, who worked with the first team.

Braulio Vázquez is already working on strengthening his own structure, including the medical leadership for the first team. Aguirre's arrival is part of that wider reorganisation the club wants to extend to the pitch as well, where the schedule offers no breathing room.

Immediate schedule and official presentation at Mestalla

Aguirre will have several training sessions before taking his place on the Valencia bench for the first time. His official presentation is scheduled for next Monday at Mestalla, but from this very Wednesday the Mexican coach is already working on the pitch with the squad. He has roughly nine months ahead to steady the team and steer it away from the lower reaches of the table.