Valladolid in the mire: Co-president Solares gets real about club struggles
Real Valladolid co-president Gabriel Solares addresses the club's precarious position, financial situation, and controversial refereeing decisions in candid radio interview.
Sitting perilously close to the Segunda División drop zone after 24 matchdays, Real Valladolid co-president Gabriel Solares has fronted up to the club’s struggles in a brutally honest assessment on Radio MARCA.
Taking responsibility
The Mexican businessman didn’t mince his words about Valladolid’s current predicament, acknowledging that results have fallen well short of expectations despite significant squad investment.
“We have the fifth-highest valued squad,” Solares admitted, shouldering the blame alongside fellow co-president Enrique Uruñuela for the club’s disappointing 17th-place position.
With 21 new players arriving since last season, Solares has pleaded for patience, comparing Valladolid’s situation to Deportivo La Coruña’s rebuilding process which has taken several years under stable ownership.
Financial reality check
Solares provided a transparent breakdown of the club’s financial position:
- Total liabilities of €82-83 million when Ignite Football Group took over
- Net financial debt of €33 million last June
- Projections show liabilities dropping to €58 million by season’s end
- Net debt expected to reduce to €23 million
While insisting relegation to Primera RFEF (third tier) isn’t in their plans, Solares reassured supporters that the club wouldn’t face extinction if the worst happens, with a capital increase ready to be implemented as a safety net.
Referee controversy
The co-president also addressed the recent refereeing storm involving sporting director Víctor Orta, who’s been hit with a six-match ban following comments to the referee after Juric’s controversial dismissal against Racing Santander.
Despite Juric clearly making contact with the ball, both the referee committee (CTA) and Competition Committee upheld the decision and VAR’s non-intervention.
Solares maintained the club’s dignified approach, saying: “Real Valladolid is a distinguished institution,” confirming they’ve appealed Juric’s suspension and scheduled talks with refereeing authorities to discuss interpretations.
For Valladolid fans, it’s been a right old dog’s dinner of a season so far, but the ownership is at least talking a good game about steadying the ship.