Chan Lay Hoon believes the language barrier was to blame for Gary Neville’s spell as Valencia Coach proving unsuccessful.
Valencia pulled the plug on Neville after just 28 matches, with the side languishing near the relegation zone in La Liga and having been eliminated from both the Copa del Rey and Europa League, and the President admits “there was a communication problem we perhaps underestimated”.
“It’s been a great experience, a very interesting challenge, but things haven’t gone well at Valencia this season,” she told Singaporean outlet Today.
“It’s not easy for an Asian to manage a football club abroad because of the difference in culture.
“Looking back [on Neville’s reign], there was a communication problem we perhaps underestimated.
“I think the biggest problem for Gary was the language barrier because he wanted to convey everything through a translator, but in Spain you need to feel emotion and sometimes this can be lost with a translator.
“The fans are always very supportive when I meet them in the streets and outside the stadium. It’s when we meet them in the stadium that their reaction is different.
“[Sporting culture] is different in Singapore. Although we like football, it’s not our life. In Valencia, it really is their life.”
