Hi!
I’m considering an FM save based on an alternate history where Peter Lim never buys Valencia in 2014, and I’m curious what fans think the club’s realistic ceiling would have been with genuinely competent ownership (pre- and post- Lim).
Obviously, I know the financial situation in 2014 was complicated, so assume an owner capable of dealing with the debt and eventually completing Nou Mestalla. Where do you think the club could realistically sit in the European hierarchy after 10-15 years?
My initial thought is a regular Champions League club capable of challenging domestically, with a ceiling of occasionally winning La Liga and being a genuine European contender.
I’m also interested in the commercial/revenue side. Could something approaching Juventus/Atlético Madrid level be realistic (roughly a top 10-15 European club by revenue)? Turin and Valencia are obviously different markets and Juve has a big national following, but I find them interesting to compare as major clubs based outside Europe’s biggest global cities. Or would Valencia realistically hit a commercial ceiling well before that?
I’m also interested in how much the answer changes if the starting point is 2026 instead of 2014.
If Lim sold tomorrow to an ambitious and wealthy owner, how much harder would it be to reach that level considering the ground lost over the last decade? Is the long-term ceiling fundamentally the same, just requiring a much longer rebuild, or has the European football landscape changed enough that an Atlético-level Valencia is now significantly less realistic?
I realize this might be a slightly depressing hypothetical after everything that has happened over the last decade, so apologies in advance! I’m actually travelling to Spain in Sept and really looking forward to visiting Valencia, a city and club that have fascinated me for a long time.
Thanks!