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Valencia president sacked after threatening player in leaked audio

Published 11:50 31 May 2022 BST

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Anil Murthy threatened to 'kill' a player if they left for free

Valencia have sacked their club president Anil Murthy after he threatened to "kill" a player if they left for free in a leaked audio tape. Spanish newspaper Superdeporte revealed the leaked messages two weeks ago in which Murthy is alleged to have threatened midfielder Carlos Soler during a private dinner in April. Murthy is believed to have said: "If you leave for free in January, I’ll kill you (in the press)."

Valencia had initially defended their club president, who was appointed in 2017, and accused Superdeporte of running a "smear campaign" and that they had "edited" the recordings to "convey a false or biased narrative."

Valencia released a statement confirming his departure on Monday

But in a statement on Monday, Valencia confirmed they had parted ways with Murthy: "The board would like to clarify that the content of the leaked conversations between Anil Murthy and various third parties are the personal views of Anil Murthy and not of Valencia CF. Valencia CF disassociates itself from his views. "The board values the importance of a close relationship between the club, the community, fans, government authorities, media and other stakeholders. "The board hold the view that a change in leadership is required, in order to regain the trust of the fans and the community and put Valencia CF in a position for success. "Effective immediately, Anil Murthy will cease to be both President and an employee of Valencia CF." https://twitter.com/valenciacf/status/1531248054501879813 While Valencia look for a replacement, Sean Bai, the directory of their academy, has been appointed as acting director general for the club on an interim basis, as per The Athletic. Valencia finished ninth in La Liga this season. Related links:

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