Mr García-Pitarch is a familiar face to the club. He defended the Valencia CF badge between 1982 and 1985. He was also the Director of the Escuela Paterna school between 2000 and 2002 and the Sporting Director of the club from 2002 to 2004, helping the club clinch a La Liga title and a UEFA Cup win.

The 52-year-old went on to be the Sporting Director at Atletico Madrid where he won the Europa League and European Super Cup. In addition, he has held high-level positions at Spanish clubs Hércules and Real Zaragoza as the President and Director General respectively. He has served in the Baniyas Football Club in the Arab Emirates.

Valencia CF Chairwoman, Ms Lay Hoon Chan, welcomed the arrival of Mr García-Pitarch to the club. She said: “We had assured our fans and stakeholders that we would constantly review our sporting structure. We are very happy with this appointment because we have someone on board who is not only a proven professional but also one who is rooted in Valencianismo. Jesús has enjoyed success at the highest levels in his sporting career and knows Valencia CF well. We believe that he is the ideal person for such an important position.”