November 1 – Valencia have paid tribute to one of their former players Jose Castillejo who was killed at the age of just 28 as a result of the city being hit by the current floods.
“Valencia CF mourn the passing of José Castillejo, casualty of the flash floodings,” a statement read. “José Castillejo came up through the [club’s] youth system up to U18 level and played for other teams in the region.”
The club have also shared footage of their players helping with the recovery effort in the city.
Maximiliano Caufriez, Jesus Vazquez and Thierry Rendall were among those seen helping collect foodstuffs at the Mestalla Stadium, where local residents have been gathered after the floods devastated the city.
The club said it joined forces with the Valencia Food Bank, and its stadium became “a deposit for food and basic needs.”
“Mestalla will be at the service of the city to cope with the emergency caused by the (floods).”
The number of lives lost has risen to at least 158, traumatising the city and turning attention away from one of the club’s worst starts to a Spanish league and whose Singaporean owner Peter Lim is enduring continued criticism.
Before the storms, Valencia were in last place with only one victory in 11 La Liga matches. Fans have long been upset with Lim, accusing him of treating the club solely as a business endeavour. Thousands protested outside the Mestalla this month, many carrying familiar signs of ‘Lim Go Home’.
Some of the protests got out of hand last week after the team lost at home to Las Palmas, a side that hadn’t won in La Liga in 23 consecutive matches. Fans confronted police and caused damage around the Mestalla.
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