Kiat Lim: “We want to be more open with the Valencia CF fans”

Kiat Lim, member of the board of directors, has done an interview with VCF MEDIA. He outlines the future expectations of the club from an economic and sporting standpoint.

How is the team looking this season?

I'm very excited. I see a lot of new energy around the team. I think the energy level is very good. I was at the final earlier this year in Seville and we were very close to winning. I was a bit upset about losing, but I believe that this team has a history and track record of bouncing back, so that is what we hope to achieve this season, being able to identify more with the style of play that we have. I think that it's something very exciting.

What is your opinion of the team’s style of play since Gattuso’s arrival?

In the last few months the style of play has become more ambitious and I think the games are becoming more entertaining -as we can see and from what I've heard from my colleagues. We are averaging 41,000 attendance, so I'm very happy and grateful to the fans for coming and supporting. More than that, I'm very happy that the fans are starting to enjoy the style of play again.

What are the objective of Valencia CF as a Club?

As a club, we always want to play in Europe. This is a common goal and ambition of everybody involved. There is a very delicate balance between the sporting and economic needs of the club. Finding the balance is something that is not easy, but something everybody is working very hard to achieve. Also, for us to consistently perform at a high level, some sort of economic stability has to be achieved first. We don't just want the odd season in which we do really well, then the next season we don't perform. I think that's not what we want, as after all we are a big club and we want to consistently play in Europe, year after year. For that to happen, there has to be economic stability at the club first.

The goal is to win. This is football. We are trying very hard but at the end of the day results matter and I do understand that. That is something we hope to achieve with the revitalisation of the project. With this restructuring, we understand that we are trying to come out of the situation stronger than before. With Layhoon coming back as president and myself finally being able to represent this club in an official capacity. This is something that makes me very happy and excited for the future.

You have had a meeting with Gattuso in recent days and have seen the team in training. What is your opinion on the work he has done with the first team?

I hold Gattuso in very high regard. I think he is an excellent coach and an even better man. He is someone that I really respect and really like. Both professionally and on a personal level. He is definitely very key to this project and he’s able to command respect from the players as well as the dressing room and stakeholders, myself included. We are really excited for the rest of the season and look forward with him at the helm. He is a great coach. He is the perfect coach to lead a young team for the future. This new identity that we have formed and the style is being enjoyed by the fans. Everything points towards one thing. The future. We acknowledge that we’ve moved on from the past but I hope that we can look forward.

How do you face this new role as a board member?

I embrace this new role and I look forward to working very closely with the president for the new future of the club. I am going to be carrying out my responsibilities like any other director on the board. I also do note that I am also perhaps in a different position so I will work even harder and make a bigger commitment to learn. I want to really try and immerse myself in the culture here. I don’t want to use cultural differences as an excuse although it is a fact that it exists. I do look forward to reaching out to more of the different associations on the ground to be able to broaden my perspective and to learn and to listen to the different Peñas. I look forward to that in the future when I come back. This is something that we will arrange. We will reach out accordingly for me to be able to go on the ground and to listen and to really learn.

One of your priorities, like you mentioned, is to get involved, to reconnect the club with the fans, to make them feel proud about their team, right?

I think ultimately the fans are the most important thing. This is something I’ve constantly said and now that I am officially on the board I think we will make a greater effort to connect and to show the fans that we are listening. With respect to the deep and rich culture of this club as well as the traditions that have been here for a long, long time. I understand that it hasn’t been an easy last few years for the fans. Not playing in Europe for over a thousand days. We hope to change that. Obviously change doesn’t happen overnight. We are going to work very, very hard to ensure that we get back to that level of play. I have deep respect for the club. The level of competitiveness that we have played at. Back-to-back Champions League finals. We do have to take this into account moving forward that this is the level that we should be at and I do agree with the fans. I understand that they are upset and I am upset as well. We do really hope that we will go back to this level one day and the board and myself will work very hard to try and make this happen.

Have there been any decisions made to reconnect with the club, its history and its shareholders?

With respect to the deep history and traditions of the club, we have decided to revert back to the original for the general assembly. We hope that this will allow us to connect with all shareholders as well as showing that we are serious about change and we want to connect back with shareholders, with fans, with media.

How is your father and majority shareholder, Peter Lim, experiencing this season?

He has always been committed to the club. I think we all experience ups and downs but his commitment to the club has never wavered. I think this is very evident in the financial support that he has constantly been giving the club. I think even more reiterated in the new loan that has been granted this year for the club. Even with the new Gattuso project as well. And myself being here. For him, actions speak louder than words. We all have different forms of communicating and his is with action.

Does the fact that you are here as a board member show the intention of his clear involvement?

We obviously want to communicate and be more open. But beyond that taking action. Hence the decision to revert back to the original number of shares for the general assembly to be able to remain more connected to the fans and to open it up for all shareholders. I think for us going to the city hall this afternoon and meeting with Mayor Joan Ribó. That is action on our end as well. We remain very committed to the project and now with the CVC funding we are finally able to move forward with the Nou Mestalla and we would love to be able to move forward with clarity and to really give value back to this great city where this great club is.

A message to the Valencia CF fanbase.

I understand that the last few years has not been easy and that trust has been broken. I’m asking for you to see the actions that we take and from there make your own decision. The sporting objectives are very clear with us. We want the exact same thing. We really do want the exact same thing as everybody. We want to play in Europe, we want to win games, we want to win trophies. That is what we want very clearly. I know it’s a big ask but I hope we can start a fresh and I’m not asking for trust immediately but start a fresh, see what we do with our actions and then make the decision yourself from then on. I want to say thank you to all the fans for always standing by the club regardless and always showing support and the attendance in the stadium this year really speaks volumes and I am really grateful. On behalf of the team for showing that support and being there for them regardless.