Valencia CF president Anil Murthy was in attendance at Mestalla this Thursday for a special event, as the graduation ceremony for the 12th edition of the VCF Foundation and ESBS MBA in International Sports Management.

Mr. Murthy gave the closing speech at the ceremony, congratulating the graduates for their completing one of the most prestigious courses of its kind in Spain and Europe.

The full speech to the graduates:

"Dear Alumni,

"It is a pleasure for me to be with you today on such an important day as your graduation.

This is the second time that the graduation has taken place during the global Covid-19 pandemic. Many people are looking in hope to going back to normal life soon, but the reality is that the pandemic has taken a turn for the worse in Asia and in some other parts of the world."

"What is the lesson that I have learnt from the last 15 months of managing Valencia CF during the pandemic? That the business model and business operations of football clubs and other businesses in general have changed fundamentally. We cannot sit back and do nothing, wait for things to go back to the way they were. That would be suicidal -for any business."

"Human resource management is very important. People working from home is a normal occurrence today. Working remotely was previously common at many tech companies. Now the pandemic has forced all companies to adapt. This affects human resource management tremendously. What kind of people work better in these conditions? What skills do they need? Young people have an advantage in this aspect, but we have to be careful and balance the natural advantages of young people with their lack of experience. Older people like myself still have many things to offer!"

"Effective and responsible risk management is crucial. You cannot overspend, hoping that you will gain more money later. That is what has led many clubs -including Valencia CF- into trouble. The pandemic shut Mestalla for 15 months. We lost more than 30 million euros as a result. Who could have planned for this? If we had not overspent in previous seasons when signing players, we would have been in a better situation. Spend wisely and grow step-by-step. There is no hurry. The club is 102 years old. Let’s keep it going for many more years."

"Be decisive, especially in times of crisis like now. There are fewer opportunities and less time in which to reach a consensus amongst everyone. You can explain your decisions later. In times like these you need to be a leader. Of course and without a doubt, on the football side, consensus building with the coach is a necessary and important process. ‘Haters,’ social media keyboard warriors, and those same groups who want to kill this club for their own interests will always be there. They have a very clear idea: They want us out, ONLY because they want to come in.”

This will not change, and you should not waste your focus and energy on things that you can’t change. The focus should be on the majority, who want to see the club do well, just like us. We must work quickly and decisively to build their trust, giving them the confidence that the club is moving in the right direction."

"Finally, I hope that you all go on to have successful careers. You are graduating from one of the top Masters courses in Spain and Europe. Be humble in your work and confront the challenges that you will face with confidence. Do not be what people expect you to be. Be yourself with all your faults. Stay young and disruptive, and the future will be yours."

·Good luck and congratulations to you all. And Amunt!"