Marca: Poor Start and Disappointing Summer Window Lead Valencia Fans to Protest Lim Management

According to Marca, Valencia fan groups will stage protests during the home match against Barcelona, with Curva Nord and Libertad VCF planning different forms of action.

The team's poor start and the conclusion of the summer transfer window have triggered fan protests. Some supporters plan to enter the stands only after the 19th minute, while others have called for a show of anger inside the stadium.

This Sunday, Valencia will face Barcelona at Mestalla. The match will once again become a focal point for protests against major shareholder Lim and the club's current management. The two main Valencia fan groups, Curva Nord and Libertad VCF, have both announced actions to express dissatisfaction with the club's situation, but in different ways.

Behind these demands are not only Valencia's poor start in La Liga, with just one point from three matches, but also the rushed conclusion of the transfer window and the subsequent press conference held by football chief executive Ron Gourlay. Gourlay defended the club's sporting management at the press conference.

Curva Nord said its members would remain outside the stands until the 19th minute. The group said the decision was made after a members' vote held last week. The group stated that, as a protest against the club's management and current board, members would demonstrate on the streets outside the stand entrances until the 19th minute.

Curva Nord also called on other fans to join the action. The group said in a statement: “We invite other Mestalla supporters to join our protest.” At the 19th minute, Curva Nord plans to enter the stands collectively and continue supporting the team during the match. The statement added: “We will enter the stands together, express our dissatisfaction with the club's current situation, and then continue to support Valencia as usual.”

Meanwhile, Libertad VCF has chosen a different approach. The group does not plan to leave the stadium during the opening minutes of the match, but instead intends to turn the Mestalla stands into a center of protest during one of the season's most high-profile matches, with Barcelona visiting.

Libertad VCF released a statement on Friday criticizing recent comments by Valencia football chief executive Ron Gourlay, describing them as “a new disrespect” toward Valencia fans. The group believes the club's current leaders are prioritizing real estate income related to the new Mestalla stadium and called for public authorities to intervene and take “the strongest” measures.

The association directly told fans that “we really can do something now” to respond to the current situation and stressed that pressure from the stands must continue. The statement said: “Perhaps the final great help Mestalla can give our club is in our hands.”

Libertad VCF wants the protest to be clearly visible during the match and called for an atmosphere similar to major European nights at the stadium. The statement said: “We must roar like we did in a Champions League semi-final. Just as that roar determined whether we could score and reach the final.” However, the association stressed that this roar should be directed at the “presidential box” and said: “Valencia Club is not theirs. Valencia belongs to us.”