The Nou Mestalla project has once again become the centre of a serious dispute. Civic groups accuse Valencia’s authorities of lacking transparency and failing to comply with court orders, casting doubt on the legality of the process surrounding Valencia’s new stadium.

Wall of silence at city hall

The legal dispute initiated by the group UVAM (Últimes Vesprades a Mestalla / Last Afternoons at Mestalla) against the Valencia city council concerns alleged serious irregularities in the execution of Nou Mestalla investment. The association demands access to both documents provided by the club and internal municipal reports, which are crucial for assessing the legality of the process. Despite court orders, the flow of information has been blocked.

According to the organization's statement, the justice system is encountering incomprehensible resistance from the administration. The communiqué reads that during the proceedings, an exceptionally serious event occurred: the court had to summon the city council three times to hand over the full administrative documentation, which to this day has not been fully provided.

UVAM emphasizes that the missing files do not concern trivial bureaucratic matters. They involve evidentiary materials that could confirm reported legal violations, both in the club's actions and in the officials' omissions.

© Amunt Mestalla | The legal dispute concerns alleged serious irregularities in the implementation of the Nou Mestalla investment.

Threat to democratic control

A situation where a public administration body ignores court orders is perceived by critics as a systemic threat to the transparency of public life. The repeated need for court intervention demonstrates the imperfection of power accountability mechanisms.

In its statement, the association puts forward a strong thesis about the erosion of trust in the state: When even judicial requirements do not guarantee transparency and accountability, we are dealing with a serious breakdown of the basic democratic mechanism of administrative control. Such an attitude by officials raises suspicions that institutions established to defend the general interest are acting selectively, which drastically undermines their credibility in the eyes of citizens.

Criticism of the board and elite passivity

UVAM's criticism is aimed not only at city hall but primarily at the current club owners and local elites. The organization accuses the main shareholder, Peter Lim, of squandering a legacy built over more than a hundred years in a short time. The local management also came under fire, described as necessary collaborators in an unprecedented sporting, economic, and moral disaster.

The communiqué highlights the disturbing passivity of Valencian social groups and politicians who, at key moments - from the sale of the club to the present day - failed to stand in defense of Valencia CF. Furthermore, UVAM suggests that some officials may be deliberately sabotaging the course of justice.

© Fenwick Iribarren Architects / Valencia CF | The new stadium will have a capacity that will even allow it to host the Champions League final.

It seems that some members of the public service – whose job is to uphold and enforce regulations in defense of the public good – are obstructing the course of justice and necessary accountability, the organization warns, adding that the goal of these actions may be to lead to a situation where "faits accomplis bury the reported irregularities".

Cui prodest?

In the face of informational and legal paralysis, UVAM poses a fundamental question, invoking the Roman maxim: Cui prodest? (Who benefits?). According to the association, the forced new stadium project is unfavorable for the club itself, which risks losing historic Mestalla stadium in exchange for a venue without identity, based on unrealistic economic assumptions. The organization asks rhetorically: Who will ultimately benefit from the urban opportunity on the Mestalla site, while Valencia CF is mortgaged for decades, condemned at best to irrelevance, and at worst – to collapse?

Appeal to society

The conclusion of UVAM's actions is a call addressed to all residents of Valencia. The organization appeals for widespread mobilization and a demand for explanations before urban and financial processes become irreversible. The loss of a centenary stadium and entering into the risky Nou Mestalla project, accompanied by a lack of transparency, is, in their view, a catastrophic scenario.

From Últimes Vesprades a Mestalla, we appeal to all social entities in Valencia to realize the gravity of the situation and demand an end to a trend that not only threatens the future of Valencia CF but also undermines the credibility of our institutions, the organization concludes, declaring a continued fight to hold the guilty parties accountable, regardless of the passage of time.

© Mark Schofield | The Mestalla is the true home of Valencia CF, known for its location among other buildings and steep stands.