Re: La Liga
The Art of War
Valencia stands on the precipice with its future owner soon to be determined and Hans Kristian Lange describes the events that will soon unfold and what it means for the future of the club.
There are many things in the world you can sell. Few of them will offer the same twists and turns as the sale of a football club, something everybody has a relationship to and an opinion about. For several months already, newspapers, radio stations, television channels and other more obscure providers of information have thrived on the uncertain situation at Valencia. We should still at this point always keep our heads cool and our filters in place, not everything you read or hear is true. Most of it will however have a flavour of truth. Media allegiances, politics and truths, half-truths and, yes even lies, the Valencia sea of information is treacherous and has a fair share of sharks.
More than Tsun Tsu’s art of war, this is a story more like Macchiavelli’s ruthless political schemes in “Il Principe” (despite the first being a more catchy title). Everything is rarely what it seems to be. The players are the same as they have been all along, but as the path has appeared in front of them they have adjusted their methods. To be very cynical, the press and the fans are means to achieve a goal, whether those goals are noble or not.
“Never attempt to win by force what can be won by deception”
For some days now the main attention in the media has been the disagreement between the club at one end and Bankia at the other. A disagreement I find rather irrelevant taking into account that it is, still, Fundación who will decide. Amadeo Salvo is just a president, potentially on borrowed time. His only tool is the fans who support him, and that card has been played already. Can it be played again? Maybe. Will it bring anything good? Hardly.
“He who builds on the people, builds on the mud”.
To summarize the last few weeks since Amadeo Salvo held his famous rally, little has actually been said in the press. The only exception was Aurelio Martinez’ press release stating that the process would change. After that, everything that have been in the press are filtrations, speculations and opinions. Who filtered Fundación’s list of demands to the new phase of the process? A council member? Representing who? The council members are largely from the club, Fundación and several Valencian institutions like the Universities etcetera. Could it have been Salvo? To what end? Martinez? Or could it come from Bankia, in that case why? A different question is why Fundación or Salvo does not publish it themselves if they are as obsessed by transparency as they claim to be?
The same questions can be asked for Bankia’s response. In whose interest was it that this was known? Who stood to benefit? Well if rumours are true there is one potential buyer who has already proven solvency. One buyer that has a better offer than anyone else. One buyer who also promises to invest in the city of Valencia. One buyer who has support by a popular figure among fans. Who would benefit from that? Not Aurelio Martinez who has stated he will not sign the sale of the club. Not Amadeo Salvo who is likely to be replaced as president. Obviously Bankia, but several offers would cover their needs. It is perfectly orchestrated if all the rumours are true.
“Princes and governments are far more dangerous than other elements within society.”
The buyer in question is said to be of Arab origin and based in the United Kingdom. We have all heard the rumours about the favourite for some time now. We also heard the rumour that they came at the hand of a famous figure from Valencia’s past. Today this person had a meeting with Bankia. As Machiavelli he is Italian. He is not called the prince, but Deo – God or Il Capo – The boss. What role Amedeo Carboni will assume, if any, is unknown.
Bankia is just waiting for the final nod. Not from Fundación, Salvo or Martinez, but from Generalitat Valenciana. They stand the most to lose if this deal goes south or if it drags out. They have given Fundación a last chance to cooperate with Bankia. The alternative is what the rumours have said since yesterday; that Aurelio Martinez will leave his post along with several other council members in the Fundación. Their replacements will, as Martinez was, as his predecessors Varona and Piles also were, placed by Generalitat Valenciana. This time it will be someone loyal.
“The promise given was a necessity of the past: the word broken is a necessity of the present.”
What happens next very much depends on what is happening just now at Valencia’s Fundación. What will be Aurelio Martinez’ course of action?
The Art of War
Valencia stands on the precipice with its future owner soon to be determined and Hans Kristian Lange describes the events that will soon unfold and what it means for the future of the club.
There are many things in the world you can sell. Few of them will offer the same twists and turns as the sale of a football club, something everybody has a relationship to and an opinion about. For several months already, newspapers, radio stations, television channels and other more obscure providers of information have thrived on the uncertain situation at Valencia. We should still at this point always keep our heads cool and our filters in place, not everything you read or hear is true. Most of it will however have a flavour of truth. Media allegiances, politics and truths, half-truths and, yes even lies, the Valencia sea of information is treacherous and has a fair share of sharks.
More than Tsun Tsu’s art of war, this is a story more like Macchiavelli’s ruthless political schemes in “Il Principe” (despite the first being a more catchy title). Everything is rarely what it seems to be. The players are the same as they have been all along, but as the path has appeared in front of them they have adjusted their methods. To be very cynical, the press and the fans are means to achieve a goal, whether those goals are noble or not.
“Never attempt to win by force what can be won by deception”
For some days now the main attention in the media has been the disagreement between the club at one end and Bankia at the other. A disagreement I find rather irrelevant taking into account that it is, still, Fundación who will decide. Amadeo Salvo is just a president, potentially on borrowed time. His only tool is the fans who support him, and that card has been played already. Can it be played again? Maybe. Will it bring anything good? Hardly.
“He who builds on the people, builds on the mud”.
To summarize the last few weeks since Amadeo Salvo held his famous rally, little has actually been said in the press. The only exception was Aurelio Martinez’ press release stating that the process would change. After that, everything that have been in the press are filtrations, speculations and opinions. Who filtered Fundación’s list of demands to the new phase of the process? A council member? Representing who? The council members are largely from the club, Fundación and several Valencian institutions like the Universities etcetera. Could it have been Salvo? To what end? Martinez? Or could it come from Bankia, in that case why? A different question is why Fundación or Salvo does not publish it themselves if they are as obsessed by transparency as they claim to be?
The same questions can be asked for Bankia’s response. In whose interest was it that this was known? Who stood to benefit? Well if rumours are true there is one potential buyer who has already proven solvency. One buyer that has a better offer than anyone else. One buyer who also promises to invest in the city of Valencia. One buyer who has support by a popular figure among fans. Who would benefit from that? Not Aurelio Martinez who has stated he will not sign the sale of the club. Not Amadeo Salvo who is likely to be replaced as president. Obviously Bankia, but several offers would cover their needs. It is perfectly orchestrated if all the rumours are true.
“Princes and governments are far more dangerous than other elements within society.”
The buyer in question is said to be of Arab origin and based in the United Kingdom. We have all heard the rumours about the favourite for some time now. We also heard the rumour that they came at the hand of a famous figure from Valencia’s past. Today this person had a meeting with Bankia. As Machiavelli he is Italian. He is not called the prince, but Deo – God or Il Capo – The boss. What role Amedeo Carboni will assume, if any, is unknown.
Bankia is just waiting for the final nod. Not from Fundación, Salvo or Martinez, but from Generalitat Valenciana. They stand the most to lose if this deal goes south or if it drags out. They have given Fundación a last chance to cooperate with Bankia. The alternative is what the rumours have said since yesterday; that Aurelio Martinez will leave his post along with several other council members in the Fundación. Their replacements will, as Martinez was, as his predecessors Varona and Piles also were, placed by Generalitat Valenciana. This time it will be someone loyal.
“The promise given was a necessity of the past: the word broken is a necessity of the present.”
What happens next very much depends on what is happening just now at Valencia’s Fundación. What will be Aurelio Martinez’ course of action?
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