Valencia sack Corberan and Gourlay as Braulio Vazquez returns

Valencia have dismissed head coach Carlos Corberan and football chief executive Ron Gourlay in a sweeping change to their football leadership, and appointed Braulio Vazquez as sporting director. The club confirmed the departures and Vazquez's arrival in separate official statements on Sunday, September 13, with reserve-team coach Oscar Sanchez taking temporary charge of the first team.

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The changes follow a winless opening to the league campaign. BBC Sport reported that Valencia sit bottom of La Liga with one point from five matches, having lost 5-0 to Barcelona last week. Their most recent result was a 1-0 defeat at Sevilla on Friday, September 11, according to the club's published fixture record.

Valencia's announcement said the departures extend beyond the two senior figures. Corberan's first-team coaching staff are leaving, along with Gourlay's colleagues Lisandro Isei, Hans Gillhaus, Andres Zamora and Malek Shafei. The club described the decision as the start of a new phase for its sporting structure and football management, and said further details of that structure would follow.

Corberan leaves after 72 competitive matches in charge, the club said. He arrived in December 2024 from West Bromwich Albion with Valencia second-bottom of La Liga, according to BBC Sport. He guided them to 12th in that first season and ninth in the following campaign. The current start has brought an end to his tenure despite those previous league recoveries.

Vazquez returns to a role he previously held at Valencia between 2010 and 2013. In announcing his appointment, the club said he had led sporting operations at Osasuna since 2017, covering the past nine seasons. Valencia have tasked him with leading their new sporting structure and said he will be formally presented as sporting director in due course.

Sanchez moves up from VCF Mestalla on a provisional basis, rather than as a confirmed permanent successor to Corberan. Valencia's next league fixture is away to Deportivo Alaves on Tuesday, September 15, at Mendizorroza, leaving a short interval between the leadership changes and the team's next attempt to secure a first league victory of the season.