Damiàn Vidagany - Director of Football Operations

[MaVilla]

as per the Monchi appointment post, it also says:

To complete the new leadership structure, Damian Vidagany will assume the role of Director of Football Operations. He will work alongside Unai Emery to manage the day-to-day football operations, support Monchi in his responsibilities and provide a link between the football organisation and the rest of the Club’s functions. Since joining us in November, Vidagany has been Chief of Staff and Unai’s deputy. He previously worked in senior management positions at Valencia Football Club between 2008 and 2017.

I know nothing about this guy, time to do some research!

[alreadyexists]

So he’s been with us since November? I’ve literally never heard of him! 

[wishywashy]

Emery brought him in when he first came into the club to apparently help rectify the mistakes that he made at Arsenal. He's been namedropped in a few articles here and there and it was pretty heavily implied that he held a lot of power. Seems like it's pretty formal now.

Edited June 16, 2023 by wishywashy

[MaVilla]

7 minutes ago, wishywashy said:

Emery brought him in when he first came into the club to apparently help rectify the mistakes that he made at Arsenal. He's been namedropped in a few articles here and there and it was pretty heavily implied that he held a lot of power. Seems like it's pretty formal now.

is there anything anywhere where Emery details these "mistakes" he thinks he made?

I have heard this before, but i have never seen an explanation by Emery of what he thought those mistakes were, maybe he never explained it tbh.

[alreadyexists]

@MaVilla can you sort the thread title mate as his first name is spelled wrong?

[MaVilla]

Just now, alreadyexists said:

@MaVilla can you sort the thread title mate as his first name is spelled wrong?

how so?

Looking at google, his first name is Damia, looks like the Villa post spelt his name wrong with Damian?

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

Actually says Johan Lange is Global Director of Football Development and International academies, as well.

Edited June 16, 2023 by JAMAICAN-VILLAN

[alreadyexists]

1 minute ago, MaVilla said:

how so?

Looking at google, his first name is Damia, looks like the Villa post spelt his name wrong with Damian?

Sorry do have doubted you! I assumed the Villa post was the correct spelling. Lots of places saying Damian though, maybe Damia is a nickname? Ah, I’m not bothered really, I was just trying to help!  

[Adam2003]

Smart to have a Chief of Staff transition into this role.

[PerryBarrPet]

Just now, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

Actually says Johan Lange is Global Director or Football Development and International academies, as well.

Following these senior - and I am sure expensive - appointments I am looking forward to our long term success on the pitch where it counts.

[MaVilla]

7 minutes ago, alreadyexists said:

Sorry do have doubted you! I assumed the Villa post was the correct spelling. Lots of places saying Damian though, maybe Damia is a nickname? Ah, I’m not bothered really, I was just trying to help!  

ye ofc mate, maybe Damià is pronounced Damian in English!?, i dunno.......

[Tomaszk]

Perhaps things will change but he's been the one almost every department report to, then he filters and takes it to Emery.

Emery does too much primary analysis himself to have the time to talk to coaches and medical and the academy and recruitment and the groundsmen and any other number of people who have to tell him things.

I imagine it stays similar, with Vidagany working only with the 1st XI and Monchi and Lange dealing with things elsewhere.

[Jas10]

Quote

 

Damian Vidagany: ‘I didn’t know my Aston Villa role or salary, I just said to Unai, ‘Let’s go”

Jacob Tanswell

“I’ve seen people that are different types of leaders,” says Damian Vidagany. “The leadership of Unai (Emery) is in the football side. Unai is 24 hours football. He doesn’t spend any other minute thinking about something other than football. But a club is not only football; it’s a big universe, where there are many people who you need motivated. If you don’t motivate people, don’t expect them to deliver their best.”

It is approaching a year since Vidagany arrived at Aston Villa as Unai Emery’s personal assistant. A close friend of Emery’s for over 15 years, he knows what the head coach needs and what culture he wants to create.

This summer, however, a new power triangle was formed following the appointment of Monchi as president of football operations, with Vidagany becoming Villa’s director of football. “I don’t go offering technical opinions or decisions, ” says Vidagany. “What I do is provide Unai and Monchi with solutions and a quick response to the demands they have in developing the club. We work like we’ve been together for 10 years.

“My role allows Monchi to be focused on the sporting and scouting side of football, creating and developing a strong network of scouts. We work as Batman and Robin because the structure of Villa needs to grow very fast. We are putting the club at a level towards European football and bringing international players who are expecting a high standard.

“The Premier League has 20 of the best 50 best managers in the world. Unai is close to the top level that marks Pep Guardiola. It’s a matter of time to get there for him. I’ve never seen anyone in my life work as hard as him. This is leadership. He also has a good heart.”

Villa staff do not underestimate Vidagany’s importance to Emery. There is a feeling that if Emery had Vidagany offering the same holistic perspective at Arsenal, Emery would still be the manager in north London. Similarly at Paris Saint-Germain, Vidagany might have helped manage internal politics.

“The coach is the most important piece,” says Vidagany. “When this piece falls, the project can fall. Everyone here understands that a strong manager means a strong club. So my task is to try to connect everyone, from the owner to the academy, to the kit manager.”

Vidagany is well-liked among staff and, as a former journalist, has a reputation among European media, who view him as personable and a good diplomat. Players find him approachable if they have questions or concerns, using him as a conduit between themselves and Emery.

“I’m always very conscious of my limitations and my values,” Vidagany says. “I try to get people to embrace and drive each other, creating a big family where I can communicate with them. From the moment Unai landed at Villa, it was important for everyone to stick to the project, not only the Spanish people that came but also the English people and then the owners, all having one goal in mind.

“The club is like a family and someone has to take care of keeping the family together. Football is very stressful, results sometimes are good and sometimes bad, so we need to be strong enough not to move when the results don’t come in the way we want. Results cannot change the boat’s direction. We need to keep everyone together because the temptation sometimes is to look for who’s guilty and to point fingers. We need to be strong in the good and bad times.”

---

Vidagany was born and raised in the north Valencian town of Lliria and lived on the first floor of an apartment block. He was a proficient basketballer during his youth, describing himself as an “honourable” player, but accepted as an 18-year-old that he did not have the physical and technical attributes to reach the next level. He played semi-professionally for 12 years and he still “shoots sometimes” at Villa’s training ground. Although not to the same level, Vidagany played football as a central defender but was prone to moonlighting as an emergency striker.

He pivoted towards a career in journalism, studying at a local university, where he became classmates with Victor Onate, later a colleague at DV7, a media agency founded by former Spain international David Villa.

“We first worked in journalism in 1998,” Onate says. “Damian made his career at the local radio station, Radio Nou (Radio Nine), which is the BBC of the Valencian community. He became a star here in our city. He was one of the journalists who managed to get all the news from Valencia.”

Vidagany spent a decade covering his boyhood team. At 24, he reported on Rafa Benitez’s Valencia winning the club’s first and only UEFA Cup (now Europa League). During his time as a journalist, Vidagany developed relationships with several eminent La Liga figures, including Monchi, league president Javier Tebas and club presidents.

“He’s a natural-born public relations guy,” says Onate. “He treats everybody the same way. From the biggest personalities at FIFAor UEFA to the youngest scholarship holder in the department.”

Onate ended up working in the Valencia media department, becoming chief marketing officer. Vidagany joined the club, too, in 2008, one year after Onate left, as chief media officer.

“I accomplished my dreams as a journalist by then,” Vidagany says. “My dream now is to give back, in this case, Unai, and also because we have become very close to owners Nasser Sawiris and Wes Edens.”

Valencia were in dire financial straits when Vidagany joined, but he led a commercial push, increasing revenue. “He’s truly a leader,” says Julio Tarrega Diez, who lived in the same apartment block as a child before working with him in the marketing department at Valencia and then DV7. “People follow him under any circumstances. He’s a boss who knows how to improve the best qualities of his team, giving each person confidence and freedom. He overcame difficult moments at Valencia and knows perfectly how to manage different situations in a top-flight football club.”

Emery was appointed by Valencia 10 days after Vidagany, who recalls their first meeting: “It was a very difficult summer for Unai because the chairman and sporting director left straight after. From the first moment, we had a very good connection because we’re similar ages and started at Valencia at the same time.

 

“The club was not balanced then, but we were able to qualify for the Champions League. We made a friendship. We are always honest with each other because it is not easy to follow his pace. Unai is very intense, a very hard worker. It’s not a legend or creating a brand for him.

“He’s a guy who thinks and rethinks constantly about what’s best for the team. Every day working with him is a motivation because he’s a source of energy to everyone — he’s like a nuclear plant.”

“Unai detected from the first minute that Damian was more than just a media officer,” says Onate. “He was a guy who was a top club executive, who had the relationship with the president and all the management staff and with the players.”

Emery left Valencia four years later but Vidagany stayed. Those who worked with him noted his ability to keep multiple sides — supporters, journalists and owners — happy and his job increasingly centred on meditating tensions between those fans, media and Peter Lim’s ownership.

In 2017, following 12 managers in nine years, Vidagany stepped down. He declined offers from three other La Liga clubs and intended to concentrate on raising his two young children.

“I started to be the agent of David Villa,” says Onate. “I founded the business (DV7) with David in New York in 2014. Three years later, I moved back to Spain and my good friend Damian had left Valencia. I told David, ‘Look, this man is a great professional, a great human being, and once we open our Spanish office, we need a guy who can manage our company’. Damian was the perfect choice.”

Vidagany became chief executive of DV7, an all-encompassing role. He was responsible for managing players’ careers and, through his marketing background, kept a presence in commercial and media strands. Emery became a client, with Vidagany directly looking after his sponsorship, media relations and social media.

---

In October 2022, after five years at DV7, Vidagany received a call from Emery. Aston Villa had made overtures and the project, from Emery’s perspective, was enticing. He asked Vidagany to accompany him to Birmingham. Vidagany accepted and immediately moved to ensure Emery settled. It was not until August this year, eight months later, that his wife and children could join him in the Midlands.

 

“Unai is someone who deserves to succeed,” Vidagany says. “Unai was not a famous player, he never had easy things to get success. He’s having a brilliant career but he’s had big setbacks — you remember the 6-1 for Paris Saint-Germain against Barcelona — but he was always resilient. To work with him was a big chance. I had nothing to think about, I just took the plane. I didn’t know my role, salary or anything. I just said, ‘Let’s go’.”

“It was difficult for everybody,” says Onate. “Damian was the boss here, doing great in the job and living here with his family. He was in the city he was born in and the company was going very well. But Unai is a very close friend and when he was managing at Villarreal, the level of co-operation between him and Damian was like the friendship they had at Valencia.

“Unai talked seriously about Aston Villa’s project and wanted to have all the pieces of the puzzle to make it successful this time. It was painful for us because we were missing our greatest worker, but at the same time, we knew the opportunity was amazing.”

Vidagany’s office is adjacent to Monchi’s at Bodymoor. They have breakfast together and work closely on finalising contracts, talking to agents, prospective new signings and informing those the club are prepared to let go. Monchi has a limited grasp of English, so Vidagany, as he does next to Emery in press conferences, bridges the language barrier.

“My job is to give Unai and Monchi time to focus on the strategy,” he says. “I don’t dare to say whether this is a good or a bad player. But if Unai and Monchi want a player, I do everything I can to get them.”

 

Each aspect of his role is underpinned by the need to provide Emery, Monchi and other staff members with a stable foundation. He repeatedly stresses the importance of how a robust upward structure tends to elicit success on the pitch — to go, as he says, from a “medium club to a great club again”.

“We are lucky to work at Villa. You also don’t know how lucky Aston Villa is to have these owners,” he says. “Coming from a traditional club in Spain to Aston Villa, which is self-proud and has a very big history, the owners understand the club. This is not easy because the interest of investors sometimes is bigger than the understanding of the club.

“What we found here are owners who are committed financially and embrace Villa’s heritage. We knew from the first moment we were not going to be Manchester City or Manchester United, but we knew that if we are professional and explain the plan, the owners will be committed to the plan.”

Vidagany shares the excitement of supporters, a similar sense of anticipation he first felt while working with Emery when Villa, Juan Mata and David Silva all emerged. The ambition, 15 years later, remains the same — breaking the glass ceiling into the elite.

“I’m feeling in the atmosphere of this club that it can be a contender, even without the resources the top teams have. Unai, when he has the time and resources, will show he’s top-level — if he hasn’t already.

“With Villa’s huge fanbase and as long as we don’t become crazy or idiots to break this good atmosphere, we are on the right track to have big success.”

 

 

 

Edited May 15 by Jas10

[allani]

I really, really, really enjoy reading all these insights that show how close and united our leadership team is and how almost universally respected they are amongst pretty much everyone they come into contact with.  But also how much they've all bought into the Villa project and the desire to try and build something special.  I also love how understated and humble they all are about the part that they play, whilst really backing their colleagues.  It really does feel like everyone is working together, that they trust each other implicitly and that they are all 100% bought into the same ideas.

With that and things like Tyrone and Emi2 being pulled up on stage at the Awards Ceremony to make them feel part of the success the whole "family" thing that Emery aludes to really does seem to be a thing.

Nice guys can be winners.

[ender4]

3 hours ago, Jas10 said:

 

He is the glue.

[Pongo Waring]

Yup this guy is important figure in us getting Europe for sure! 

[OutByEaster?]

I've been lucky enough to spend ten minutes or so of time with this chap at Bodymoor Heath after one of the FAB meetings - a few of us were walked through the gym area on our way out  (it was around nine at night) and found Damia and Paco Ayestaran finishing off a workout - he stopped and took the time to talk to us about their plans, about how they were finding Birmingham, about the work they were doing and the intensity of it (his family hadn't arrived the UK at that point), about their ambitions and their methods and the importance of fans and how much they both enjoyed meeting fans in the street - he was professional, serious, open, friendly and really quite inspirational and he's one of those people that you can't help but want to listen to - it's no surprise that he's able to bring people at all sorts of levels together - I was immediately impressed by him.

Austin McPhee walked through on his way out and they grabbed him. I remember him (or maybe Paco) saying "This one, we like. We're keeping him" with smiles all round and even at that early stage you could tell they were all comfortable with each other.

Right at the end of things, before we were ushered out, someone asked him if the manager had already gone home - that brought the biggest smile of all and he simply raised an eyebrow and pointed upstairs to the office, light still burning.

These guys aren't new to this, they know what they'e about and they're a really good blend - we're a very lucky club to have them.

 

[Jas10]

1 hour ago, OutByEaster? said:

I've been lucky enough to spend ten minutes or so of time with this chap at Bodymoor Heath after one of the FAB meetings - a few of us were walked through the gym area on our way out  (it was around nine at night) and found Damia and Paco Ayestaran finishing off a workout - he stopped and took the time to talk to us about their plans, about how they were finding Birmingham, about the work they were doing and the intensity of it (his family hadn't arrived the UK at that point), about their ambitions and their methods and the importance of fans and how much they both enjoyed meeting fans in the street - he was professional, serious, open, friendly and really quite inspirational and he's one of those people that you can't help but want to listen to - it's no surprise that he's able to bring people at all sorts of levels together - I was immediately impressed by him.

Austin McPhee walked through on his way out and they grabbed him. I remember him (or maybe Paco) saying "This one, we like. We're keeping him" with smiles all round and even at that early stage you could tell they were all comfortable with each other.

Right at the end of things, before we were ushered out, someone asked him if the manager had already gone home - that brought the biggest smile of all and he simply raised an eyebrow and pointed upstairs to the office, light still burning.

These guys aren't new to this, they know what they'e about and they're a really good blend - we're a very lucky club to have them.

 

Love this

We have an amazing set up at the club now… so so positive… how rare has that been? 
 

 

[allani]

7 hours ago, OutByEaster? said:

I've been lucky enough to spend ten minutes or so of time with this chap at Bodymoor Heath after one of the FAB meetings - a few of us were walked through the gym area on our way out  (it was around nine at night) and found Damia and Paco Ayestaran finishing off a workout - he stopped and took the time to talk to us about their plans, about how they were finding Birmingham, about the work they were doing and the intensity of it (his family hadn't arrived the UK at that point), about their ambitions and their methods and the importance of fans and how much they both enjoyed meeting fans in the street - he was professional, serious, open, friendly and really quite inspirational and he's one of those people that you can't help but want to listen to - it's no surprise that he's able to bring people at all sorts of levels together - I was immediately impressed by him.

Austin McPhee walked through on his way out and they grabbed him. I remember him (or maybe Paco) saying "This one, we like. We're keeping him" with smiles all round and even at that early stage you could tell they were all comfortable with each other.

Right at the end of things, before we were ushered out, someone asked him if the manager had already gone home - that brought the biggest smile of all and he simply raised an eyebrow and pointed upstairs to the office, light still burning.

These guys aren't new to this, they know what they'e about and they're a really good blend - we're a very lucky club to have them.

 

Thanks @OutByEaster? it is really great to hear that your experiences of these guys is exactly in line with the way they are portrayed in the articles written.  It really does seem like they walk the walk rather than just talking the talk.  Also interesting to note that the relationship with Austin seems really good as well - it shows that there is unity across the board rather than factions between the Spanish guys who have known each other (or of each other) for a long time and those at the club before or how have arrived through a different channel.

[wishywashy]

Did another interview, has a Valencia context but most of it ends up being about Villa.

https://www.lasprovincias.es/valenciacf/damia-vidagany-duenos-involucrados-criterio-respeto-club-20240518180933-nt.html

Quote

Damià Vidagany: «Aston Villa works because it has owners who respect professionals»

-Are you as happy as if Valencia had won a title?
-They are different happinesses. I have been a fan of Valencia since I was a child and I am very happy when they win. I am a professional, amateur and passionate about Aston Villa, because they are the ones who have given me a high responsibility. And I will give my life for this club, for my teammates and for my coach. When I get involved in something I go two thousand percent. I also believe more and more in people. If, for example, I am a friend of Braulio, I am happy that Osasuna wins. If I have a great relationship with Fernando Roig and the people at Villarreal, I want them to do very well. It happens to me with a lot of people already. I prefer to rejoice in the successes of those I love, than to celebrate other people's misfortunes. That seems very sad to me.

-Did you imagine that achievement just a year ago when you landed at the English club with Unai?
-Not so fast. But when you land on a project with serious ownership, with resources and with one of the best coaches in the world, the goal is to be among the best. Unai had just won four European finals, has reached the semifinals of the Champions League and has qualified six different teams for the Champions League. Surprise is not the achievement of the objective, we have deserved it through work, common sense and good decisions.

-What type of club is Aston Villa?
-The great team from England's second city. Aston Villa has similar potential in England to a good Valencia or Atlético de Madrid in Spain. But here there are six teams at Real Madrid level in income. Aston Villa has a lot of history, a lot of fans, very loyal fans, and a reality that was hard for many years but that changed for the better with the new ownership with a promotion. With Unai Emery he has lived up to the most brilliant story and above the expectations of his fans.

-Do the fans assess whether there are homegrown or English footballers?
-I think what is most valued is feeling pride in your club, the results, but also the values and image that the club transmits. Having English players is a plus and we have several of the best and, on top of that, with footballers born here in Birmingham like Ramsey or Rogers.

-Do they take care of the Academy? Do they promote women's football?
-In England, the geographical mobility of kids is restricted and we have to work hard in the West Midlands region, where we belong, for both girls and boys. Here the subsidiaries only compete among themselves and the results are not so decisive. The kids are loaned out soon. Our best indication is that we are one of the clubs with the most English internationals in lower categories.

-They are five points ahead of Tottenham and eight points ahead of Chelsea. Is that a miracle?
-No miracle. But it has been a feat unanimously recognized. As I said before, the Premier League has half a dozen teams like Madrid and Barça, with enormous budgets, and we started as the first in the other league. Being fourth, in the end, is proof, as has happened with Dortmund or Leverkusen, that there is hope for teams without so many resources to be successful.

-Is Emery still so obsessed with details?
-Further. There is no other way to win in such competitive football. Our coaching staff is of an incomparable level, perhaps the best in the world. It's like a Formula One engineering team. We work and analyze scientifically to achieve the minimum advantages in every detail. Unai has six assistants on his coaching staff and five analysts. There is a working method that converges in it, segmented by areas such as set pieces, rival analysis, individual tactical performance, physical trainer, performance, data...

-Is Unai the hero of Birmingham?
-More than that. It is already a legend. It's incredible how much people love him. Must be seen to be believed. He has broken all the records in the history of a club that is 150 years old.

-Where is Emery's limit?
-He has no limits because he does not put limits on his dreams and always finds the stimuli and the paths to make them come true. And his dream is to win the Champions League. He is going to give everything to achieve it.

-It was said that with Emery you were starting from scratch. What restructuring have they done at Aston Villa?
-Unai, he had clear ideas and after your experience at Arsenal, you knew what you needed. He is very analytical. He asked me to come with him to Aston Villa before signing and help him build the structure of the club, because the owner offered him full trust, he tasked him with generating a structure, not just coaching a team. We have been in the business for some time and we have known how to analyze and capture what we understood the club needed. Then Monchi joined, who is number one as a professional and as a person. I think it is difficult to find such an ideal work environment and have such a professional property capable of delegating precisely to professionals.

-In case you can take note of said success in Valencia...
-Valencia has a different reality today and I don't like to comment on it. It's been seven years since I left the club and little remains of what I experienced. They have been through Valencia and there are good professionals, but it is essential in any company in the world that the top of the pyramid leads, delegates and trusts them. Aston Villa works precisely because it has owners who respect professionals.

-What relationship do the owners (Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens) have with the structure of the club?
-Monchi and I report with them daily from the sports area. We inform, suggest and propose what we agree with Unai, who is the true leader of the project, and to date we have never found any conflict. A daily, healthy, professional relationship where we notice from the owners the same dose of respect for our work as well as passion and responsibility for the club.

-Investing one hundred million in signings is not within everyone's reach.
-We have invested that amount and sold for more than 40. We were the 11th club in net investment in England last summer. Our success has not only been the signings, which have gone well, but also generating a new mentality in the organization and from there improving the performance of all existing players. Watkins, Emi, McGinn, Konsa, Cash... the talent was there and it needed tactical organization.

-Monchi is 50% of Aston's success and the other 50 is Emery?
-Monchi and Unai are two global phenomena. Having them is a privilege for anyone. But without involved owners, with judgment and respect, a club cannot function. Aston Villa has them. Without them neither Monchi nor Unai would be here.

-What exactly is your job as Director of Football Operations?
-My role is general director of the football area and I work between Monchi and Unai, the three forming an executive football committee. Liaison with property, personnel management, contracts, travel, renewals, relations with referees, the Premier, negotiations with other clubs... But above all, Monchi and I make sure that there are never any excuses for anyone not to perform and that every worker feels involved, including the staff. Executives are there to execute what the technicians want and lubricate the organization so that everyone is aligned and without errors.

-What is your day-to-day work?
-From sunup to sundown and with constant conversations with Unai and Monchi and the property. We have adjoining offices and every day we are together for hours and hours analyzing every detail. The efficiency of an organization is based on decision-making based on common and seamless knowledge.

-What remains of Vidagany the journalist?
-I feel empathy for professionals, those who practice with passion, dignity and without malice or spurious interests. Journalism, in general, transmits and feeds the passion for clubs and that should be appreciated by the institutions.

-What type of Aston Villa fans are?
-The English public is very loyal, unconditional and emotional, but respectful. Villa's fans are among the largest in the country in number. We have found a dedicated and grateful fan. They have carried us away. Every game you pinch yourself because of the atmosphere.

-Ex-Valencianists like Alberto Benito, Pablo Rodríguez, Pako Ayestarán work there... I imagine that a topic of conversation in their long hours of coexistence is Valencia.
-Obviously, Valencia is part of our talks. We follow him and I maintain good contact with Pipo, Voro and other club professionals whom I am very fond of. Baraja is the leader of Valencianism, he and his coaching staff have given a master class this season.

-With Pau Torres they form a large Spanish colony... do they all get together in celebrations or does everyone go their own way?
-With Pau we speak Valencian and people laugh, they don't understand us. But we try to ensure that there are no differences by nationality. When we get together, we all get together: English, Scottish, Argentinian, Brazilian, French... we are a family.

-Have you and your family adapted to life in Birmingham, a city of a million or so inhabitants?
-No problem. We are privileged to be able to live this personal adventure that enriches and broadens our vision. My wife has left a great job, I value it very much, but she is happy and so are the children. That's the most important thing, although we obviously miss family and friends.

-Do you have a contract like Emery until 2027?
-Yeah.

-Do you miss anything from your time at Valencia?
-I miss the first seven years, not the last two. We were a very competitive club despite the economic hardships. A Champions club and eighth in the UEFA ranking. Many people – from the outside – wanted to change it because they were not interested and they sold that it was not enough. Surely, they would think it was easy. I don't know what they will say now.

-You said four years ago that Lim will leave Valencia without understanding what this club is. Are you still thinking about it?
-I will explain it in general terms. When a businessman puts in a lot of money and buys the majority shareholding, he acquires the right to make all corporate decisions. But a football club is not only your investment where if you make a mistake, only you lose... You also acquire responsibility for many people affected, feelings, an inheritance, some experiences, a belonging. That can neither be denied nor abandoned. You have to understand that difference.

-What feeling do you have abroad about Valencia's situation?
-Valencia has been one of the best twenty clubs in the world for one hundred years. Sportingly, excellent campaign given the resources allocated. Compared the current reality with the history and potential of the institution, there is no need for me to give an opinion.

-Would you work for Valencia again?
-Lim did not fit into his management. I have my present, my future, my head and my feeling with Aston Villa and always with Unai Emery.

-You already have the Llíria basketball team closer to the elite...
-I was excited about the promotion. Seeing the Pla de l'Arc pavilion like this, by Jorge the coach, who is my friend and was my coach when I was little... it reminded me of youth, I always carry Llíria in my heart.