Valencia CF announced on Sunday, 13 September 2026, that both head coach Carlos Corberan and chief executive Ron Gourlay have been relieved of their duties. The decision comes after the club amassed a solitary point from its first five league fixtures, leaving it rooted to the bottom of the La Liga table. A season that began with optimism now looks like a crisis, and the board has moved swiftly to reset the sporting hierarchy.

The pressure from the Mestalla faithful has been relentless. In recent home games, chants demanding Corberan’s resignation echoed through the stands, a clear signal that supporters had lost patience with the lack of results. Gourlay, who arrived at Valencia in May 2025 and repeatedly defended the coach in public, found his position untenable as the club’s fortunes continued to decline. The board’s statement framed the dismissals as the first step in a new phase for the club’s sporting structure and football operations.

Alongside the two senior figures, the club has terminated the contracts of several staff members who operated under Gourlay’s direction. The purge extends to the coaching staff that accompanied Corberan, signalling a comprehensive overhaul of the backroom team. In a further move to restore continuity, a former sporting director has been reinstated. The returning executive previously held the role at Valencia and brings experience that the board hopes will steady the ship during a turbulent period.

Oscar Sánchez, currently in charge of Valencia Mestalla, has been appointed as interim manager of the first team. Sánchez’s promotion offers a brief respite and a familiar face for players accustomed to the club’s internal pathways. As Valencia looks to climb away from the foot of the table, the focus now shifts to rapid stabilization, clear recruitment priorities, and a coaching setup capable of extracting immediate improvements on the pitch.