Valencia are in dire straits after slipping to 19th place, folllowing defeat to Getafe on Monday night. Los Che are in danger of relegation for the first time since 1986, with fans furious at owner Peter Lim.
Two weekends ago, Mestalla was empty as tens of thousands of Valencia fans protested outside the stadium for the first twenty minutes of their match against Athletic Club. Their main aim is to see Lim and CEO Layhoon Chan leave the club.
La Liga President Javier Tebas has defended the Valencia leadership, but accusations from rival Miguel Zorio are beyond defence, if substantiated. Platforming his anti-Lim movement, Marea Valencianista, Zorio’s statement was carried by Superdeporte in which he claims he received an anonymous tip off regarding Lim and Chan.
According to the information received by Zorio, members of the first-team squad at Valencia are going unpaid, while Chan has a luxury house in Valencia being paid by the club. This is added to accusations of improper handling of the sale by the club, hidden payments to former CEO Anil Murthy and former manager Gennaro Gattuso from a Singapore account, and La Liga relaxing financial rules to benefit Lim. Meriton Holdings, the ownership group that Lim leads, are based in Singapore.
Zorio is keen to oust Lim and has been trying desperately to force Lim into a sale via legal means.
The atmosphere at Los Che is one of acrimony and outcry, with little hope that it will improve in the near future. If the claims about Chan are true, it will further besmirch the image of Chan and Lim in the eyes of the Valencia support, if they can fall any lower in their estimations.
