Valencia sacks coach Carlos Corberan and football CEO Ron Gourlay with club 20th in La Liga

Leadership overhaul at Mestalla

Valencia CF dismissed head coach Carlos Corberan and removed its entire sporting management department on Sunday, 13 September 2026. The decision, approved by club owner Kiat Lim and the Meriton ownership group, terminated the contracts of CEO of Football Ron Gourlay alongside staff members Lisandro Isei, Hans Gillhaus, Andres Zamora, and Malek Shafei. The front-office overhaul followed a sequence of negative results that left the team at the bottom of the Primera Division table after five matches. Oscar Sanchez, the coach of reserve side VCF Mestalla, has taken interim charge of the first-team squad while the club initiates a new management structure.

Collapse at the start of the campaign

The dismissals occurred less than 48 hours after Valencia suffered a defeat against Sevilla on Friday, 11 September 2026, marking the team's fourth consecutive league loss. During that match in Seville, Valencia failed to register a single shot on target. The club sits in 20th place with one point from a possible 15, having scored one goal and conceded 10 across the opening five rounds. After starting the campaign with a draw against Celta Vigo, Valencia lost consecutively to Real Betis, Deportivo La Coruna, Barcelona, and Sevilla. Lim observed the home loss against Barcelona from the presidential box at Mestalla before finalizing the decision to reset the football department.

The club wants to convey a message of stability and confidence in the future, reaffirming its commitment to building a solid, competitive and sustainable sporting project.

Corberan's tenure and managerial turnover

Corberan, a 43-year-old native of Cheste who previously played for Valencia's B team, took charge in December 2024 after replacing Ruben Baraja. Arriving from English Championship club West Bromwich Albion, he inherited a squad in the relegation places and steered them to a 12th-place finish, followed by a ninth-place finish last season. Prior to West Brom, Corberan managed Huddersfield Town for two seasons and had an 11-game spell at Greek club Olympiacos. In total, Corberan directed 72 official matches during his time at Mestalla.

Carlos Corberan arrived at Valencia CF in December 2024 with the objective of leading the sporting project in a complex situation that he was able to reverse, and has performed his duties with professionalism, passion and maximum commitment throughout 72 official matches.

Structural changes and top-flight history

The upcoming appointment will mark Valencia's 18th permanent head coach since 2012. The club has competed continuously in the Spanish top division since 1987, but it has not finished higher than ninth place in any of the past seven seasons. Gourlay, who previously held executive positions at Chelsea, Reading, and West Bromwich Albion, departs as part of what the board termed a new stage in its sports structure and football management area. Club officials stated that further details regarding the configuration of the next sporting project will be announced in due course.