Valencia started the 2016/17 season off in disastrous fashion, with relegation quickly becoming a serious threat. Under Pako Ayestaran they lost their opening four games and were rock bottom, form which caused the board to sack him just a month into the season. They brought in respected Italian manager Cesare Prandelli, but his impact was limited and they won just one of the eight league games for which he was in charge. A dispute with the owners then saw him leave the club before he had even properly settled in and Voro was once again appointed as caretaker coach, as he has been so many times over the years. He may not be much of a tactician, but he was able to get this quality-packed squad motivated and that was good enough for him to be given the job to the end of the season. Under his leadership, Valencia won 12 times out of 26, which was good enough form for relegation to quickly cease to be a concern and for the team to saunter towards the season’s finish line in mid-table.
For Valencia fans, this was a very disappointing season, not least because there was very little to get excited about. The goal at the beginning of the year was a return to European football, but chances of finishing in the top seven were basically extinguished before October had even arrived. On paper, it was all the more disappointing given the big names that were had arrived in the summer to form part of the squad, such as Nani, Munir and Mangala. Yet they failed to truly reach the heights expected of them, while it should also be noted that injuries hampered the progress of a lot of players and of the team as a whole.
