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August 11, 2024

Although Ruben Baraja’s presence and Rafa Mir’s “home” at Valencia provide hope, the Spanish giants want more than this – La Liga

Reporting from Valencia’s Trofeu Taronja, Adam Bate speaks with striker Rafa Mir about his decision to rejoin the team. Mestalla supporters lament the ownership and yearn for a return to the illustrious days of their past. They are desperate for a hero to emerge.

Regarding pre-season competitions, Valencia’s Trofeu Taronja has a rich past. Pele scored the opening goal of the inaugural edition in 1959, one of six goals he scored that summer as Santos won the trophy. It was Rafa Mir’s turn to start the scoring this year.

Valencia defeated Eintracht Frankfurt 3-2 thanks in part to his goal. The players didn’t seem to know whether to celebrate with the wooden bat trophy, which honors the flying mammal in the club’s logo, but Mir’s happiness was understandable. He has to bide his time until his Mestalla moment.

“It means a lot,” he tells Sky Sports afterwards, grabbing a quiet word in English after the striker has been peppered with questions by the Valencia press pack. “I was at this club for six years as a kid and I am very happy to be back. It is amazing to be home.”

He is back on loan from Sevilla; the long-term agreement nearly finished in January. Mir notes that it was “a difficult year for me to get here” and that Valencia has wanted to bring him back for much longer; he battled to make the move.

Now 27 years old, Mir left the team for the first time, barely out of his teens, having made a name for himself on the first team. Moving to Wolverhampton, which was in the Championship then, was challenging. He shudders at the memory even now and then laughs.

“What weather,” he says. “Amazing. Raining every day.” Perhaps moving in January wasn’t the best idea. His two FA Cup appearances against Swansea and his one-game bench stint against Barnsley and Nottingham Forest were his only four Wolves appearances.

Mir did not fare much better during a subsequent loan spell at Forest, where he failed to score in 13 games and endured the shame of having one of the team’s most outstanding European Cup winners list him among their worst ever acquisitions. Everything seemed a little too much, too soon.

There may be better ideas than moving in January. His two FA Cup appearances against Swansea and his one-game bench stint against Barnsley and Nottingham Forest were his only four Wolves appearances.

Mir did not fare much better during a subsequent loan spell at Forest, where he failed to score in 13 games and endured the shame of having one of the team’s most outstanding European Cup winners list him among their worst ever acquisitions. Everything seemed a little too much, too soon.

“Of course. I have changed a lot since I was a kid, this is life, this is sport. I have had a lot of teammates and a lot of coaches and I learned a bit along the way. It is difficult to explain but I grew up. My mentality, my confidence, I learned it out there on the pitch.”

He describes the crowd’s “incredible love” for him, which is demonstrated by the enthusiastic cheers he received when he ran out to be introduced to them and by their fervent response of yelling his last name whenever the announcer urged it.

But as much as it does about Mir’s skills, this wish to see one of their own succeed in white says about Valencia’s longing. When Sergi Canos, a longtime Valencia supporter, moved from Brentford last summer, there was a similar outpouring of support.

Gone is the Valencia that Canos had grown up watching, supporting with his father during their 2002 championship season. Even Valencia, the third-best team in Spain, which Mir joined ten years later, appears to be a glorious one in comparison.

Though it is only partially constructed, the new stadium is still in the planning stages. After flirting with relegation last season, the team’s ninth-place finish could be considered a victory. 

Owner Peter Lim has worn people out for ten years.

As Mir speaks about returning home, the supporters—as they have for the past nearly eight years—bring banners urging Lim to do the same. It is ironic, if using such uncomfortable language to address the Singaporean businessman, as he is not frequently present.

Although managers have come and gone, Lim has at least managed to find one who can inspire enthusiasm. Ruben Baraja is a living legend, with his likeness plastered everywhere, both inside and outside.

The cheers for him are louder than for the players.

In his prime, Baraja was a combative midfield player for Rafa Benitez’s team, which went on to become one of the strongest in Europe. Mir talks about the “double sessions” the coach does with the team and how they are “more recognisable now”. Fans react to that.

Baraja is a coach who offers some semblance of unity, harking back to a time when Valencia was in charge, and his resentment toward the ownership is not going away. His connection is essential. There’s also hope because of his relationship with Mir. The two have a long history together.

When Mir scored 21 goals to show his potential, Baraja was leading the youth team. Both pressed for this get-together. “The coach is very important to me, he gives me the confidence that I am a very important player for the team,” says Mir.

“This is one of the big reasons why I am here. I need to do my best and take this opportunity, get back my confidence, and the coach is working with me a lot on that. I tried to return before but the time is now. I need to keep improving. It is up to me.”

Even though it seems straightforward, Valencia’s future holds more challenges. Mir describes this team as a family and even raises the prospect of qualifying for Europe, which would be a step in the right direction for Valencia, which is currently the fifth-most successful club in Spain. We’ll see.

Every significant trophy at Mestalla is identified by a banner that crosses the stands, serving as a constant reminder that every decade since the 1940s has produced silverware. However, the next trophy seems far away as this one approaches its halfway point. The Trofeu Taronja is not taken into account.

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