• 1-0 at Pizjuán, Valencia complete the grief

A discreet man, determined to enter the minds of the players and who does not shy away from challenges. Javi Gracia (Pamplona, ​​1970) takes the reins of Valencia almost without making a sound, but with a baggage in his saddlebags that does not feed mistrust. Three years ago he was already on Mateu Alemany's agenda while suffering the harsh winter in Russia and since then he has tried in the Premier League, where he led Watford to the Cup final. Mestalla arrives even more mature. Did Peter Lim know him ? No, but the reports he has been collecting from Singapore drew him a profile he trusts.

As a footballer and as a coach, Gracia has trotted around the world seeking to live on his passion and combining the two faces that soccer has taught him. He got rid of the frustration of not playing for Athletic, where he trained, to enjoy the promotion to Primera del Lleida, his remarkable time at Valladolid and Real Sociedad and his good times at Villarreal taking off.

On the bench he premiered with seafood plaques in Pontevedra, he was left on duty in Cádiz, whom he returned to Segunda, and he saw corrupt soccer inside at the Greek Olympiakos and Kerkyra. A Almeria came as alter ego of Unai Emery and placed the team in first, before the next season martyred with declining Osasuna. He never wore the red shirt, but his idols on the cards of the 80s were Echeverria , Iriguibel and Martín .

Chameleonic adaptation

He recovered from that setback in Malaga, when Al Thani was retreating after the European boasts. He led the team two seasons in which he touched Europe and they increased their lineup. So, he dragged his suitcase back to the Rubin Kazan. The Russian winter hit him so hard that he endured just one campaign and went home. From there he was taken out by the Pozzo family Watford , who entrusted him to save the team and he responded by taking him to the FA Cup final. They renewed him until 2023, but the idyll was broken with an unexpected dismissal last September.

If there is a value that Gracia shows off it is a chameleon adaptation. With a thick line, her principle is defensive solidity with a 4-4-2, but without diminishing creativity. The attack statistics of their teams corroborates this. To this he adds his ability to radiograph the templates and reach the minds of the players, with a soft hand but firm principles. "Football belongs to the players, I only organize them" is one of his mantras. For that, they persevere in their explanations and reasoning until they get them to understand that what they ask them on the field will make them better, them and the team. It is the way you earn their respect.

Then comes the analysis of the environment, the idiosyncrasy of the club and its fans. "You have to have a quick view," he says. That's why he is fluent in English enough to have dealt with more or less capricious and interventionist Russian, Arab or Greek owners, without sparking. That is something that Peter Lim has valued and, above all, his environment. They needed a temperate character, but with extensive experience. Steel hand in silk glove. His new coach has the obsessions of every modern coach: nutrition, video analysis, development and quality of training ... and a discipline based on respect for the work of others, with significant fines for the least punctuality.

Lower the cost of wages

His first challenge will be to recover the family concept that Valencia's dressing room had, the confidence that has been weakened in the last year that has made footballers worse. But, before, the club will purge to reduce the cost of wages by at least 60 million, something that Gracia knows and accepts.

In addition to his baggage and his character, the Navarrese has had supporters who have transmitted his good work. Miguel Ángel Corona and Ibán Andrés survive in the Valencia technical secretariat . He met both of them in Almería. Corona was the team captain and Andrés was part of his coaching staff as a tactical analyst. The two have conveyed Gracia's kindness to the president, Anil Murthy .

Gracia has imposed itself on three rivals: José Bordalás , Laurent Blanc and Rubén Baraja . The first was the favorite, perfect for Mestalla, but his commitment to Getafe and his termination clause were the brakes. The Frenchman, recommended by the owner of PSG, has been away from the bench for four years and has never trained in LaLiga. In the case of the former Valencian player, free after leaving Tenerife, it has been heavy that he has no experience in First Division and the club's situation is not the most ideal to shoot.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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