Mestalla turns on Corberán as Valencia crisis deepens
Valencia fans call for manager's resignation during Real Madrid defeat as relegation fears grow at Mestalla with the club hovering just one point above the drop zone.
Valencia supporters made their feelings crystal clear on Saturday night, turning Mestalla into a cauldron of discontent as Los Che slumped to defeat against Real Madrid.
Fans demand Corberán’s head
The Valencia gaffer found himself in the firing line as a record 47,515 attendance – the highest of the season – made their frustrations known. Chants of “Corberán, dimisión!” (Corberán, resign!) echoed around the famous old ground, particularly after Álvaro Carreras opened the scoring for Madrid and intensified when Mbappé sealed the deal in the 91st minute.
The boss was already on thin ice with the Valencia faithful, receiving whistles when his name was announced over the tannoy before kick-off. But it was his substitution decisions that really got the crowd’s backs up.
For my money, the triple change on 80 minutes was the final straw. Fans had been begging for fresh legs, but when Corberán hooked Beltrán – one of Valencia’s better performers – the place went absolutely radio rental. You could hear the collective frustration from miles away.
Relegation fears mounting
The defeat leaves Valencia in serious bother, hovering just one point above the relegation zone with 23 points. They’ve been given a temporary reprieve only because the Rayo-Oviedo match wasn’t played this weekend.
The next fortnight looks proper tasty too, with two away trips on the horizon:
- A crucial six-pointer against local rivals Levante in a relegation dogfight
- A visit to Villarreal, who are enjoying a Champions League-worthy campaign
Players and owner also in the crosshairs
Corberán wasn’t the only one getting pelters from the Mestalla faithful. The players copped an earful too, with chants of “Players, mercenaries!” and “You don’t deserve this shirt!” ringing out.
And as is tradition these days, owner Peter Lim wasn’t spared either, with the familiar “Peter, go now!” chants making their regular appearance.
With Valencia’s situation looking increasingly dicey, the pressure on Corberán has reached boiling point. The question now is whether the board will stick or twist with their manager as they fight to avoid the drop.