Cesare Prandelli claims Valencia’s board are “numbers people” who live in “fear of the fans” and that sporting director Suso Pitarch bottled his own resignation.
As well as hitting back at Suso’s suggestion that he was stopped from walking out on the club, Prandelli took aim at the 53-year-old’s failure to sign Simone Zaza as promised and the Valencia directors not permitting open training sessions due to a negative perception of their own supporters.
“I’m emotional and very sad that a dream is over. It was a very difficult challenge,” the Coach began at a Press conference.
“I accepted the challenge because they said they would improve the team in January. I asked for players and Lim said ‘okay’. The first was Zaza.
“Suso told me Zaza was done but that I should talk to him because he still had doubts. I talked to Simone and he was happy to come.
“I told Suso they had to close the deal quickly because we needed players with character and without fear at Mestalla.
“To my surprise on my return from the holidays, Zaza was still not done.
“Lay Hoon told me we could only sign one player, not four. I told Suso that under these conditions, I’d leave.
“Suso told me that if I resigned, he would too … [followed by a gesture of pulling out an empty chair next to him and grimacing].
“I asked to do open training sessions, but they wouldn’t let me out of fear of the fans.
“[The Valencia board] are numbers people, but this is football and football is about feelings.
“This team enter your heart. I ask the fans to help the players who are in need at Mestalla.”
