“No need” – Valencia fume at referee appointment for relegation showdown against Real Valladolid – Football España

On Saturday evening, Valencia take on Real Valladolid at the Mestalla in a huge matches at the bottom of the La Liga table. Los Che can move outside of the relegation zone if they avoid defeat, but given the circumstances, a victory is a must.

However, there has been some controversy in the build-up to the match with the appointment of Juan Luis Pulido Santana as referee. Pulido Santana is from Gran Canaria, where Valencia’s relegation rivals Las Palmas are based.

Valencia head coach Carlos Corberan does not doubt Pulido Santana’s integrity, but he thinks the appointment will only make things harder for the referee, as per Marca.

“If we talk about this specific appointment and this match, I think that thinking about the referee could protect him and take the pressure off the fact that he is from the Canarian committee and born in Las Palmas. There are 20 referees who can be appointed. There are 17 referees who could have been appointed. There was no need to put a referee from a committee of a direct rival to achieve the objective.”

Corberan also spoke on Kiat Lim, who was appointed as Valencia’s new president earlier this week.

“I had a brief and cordial meeting. I value presence and trust and respect for autonomy to carry out our work, which is important. I can’t assess the impact of the changes because they are from right now. I am aware that I was already on the board of the club and involved in the club. I want to thank Lay Hoon Chan for his treatment for the support and for the club’s concern. It wasn’t the first time he’d spoken to Kiat, but it was the first in-person meeting that boosted confidence. It was not a meeting to talk about major issues. They give us autonomy to be able to develop the work, it is necessary for me as a coach and without any interference.”