Aguero returns to Spain to save struggling Valencia

Madrid – AFP – Former Mexico head coach Javier Aguirre is returning to Spain to take charge of struggling Valencia, who sit second from bottom in the domestic football league, according to a club announcement.

The 67-year-old coach led his country, one of the co-hosts, to the Round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup, where they lost to England, concluding his third stint as the national team’s technical director.

Aguirre’s most recent experience in Spain was with Real Mallorca, whom he guided to their first King’s Cup final in 21 years before his departure in 2024.

Valencia stated in a statement: “The Mexican coach will join until the end of the current season, and the club will have the option to extend his contract for an additional season.”

Valencia have collected only four points from their first seven league matches this season, leaving them in second-from-bottom position.

The club, owned by Singaporean billionaire Peter Lim, earlier this month dismissed former manager Carlos Corberan and chief executive Ron Gourlay.

Valencia, who have won the Spanish championship six times, most recently in 2004 under Rafael Benitez, have not finished higher than ninth in the league since the 2018-2019 season.

Aguirre previously managed Leganes, Espanyol, and Real Zaragoza in Spain. He also led Osasuna to a surprising qualification for the UEFA Champions League after finishing fourth in the Spanish league in 2006, before moving to manage Atletico Madrid. He has also coached the national teams of Japan and Egypt.