Gordon in line for shock Barcelona reunion as managerial change confirmed

23 Sept 2026 17:01 BST | 4 min read

Anthony Gordon, Barcelona, 2026/27 — © IMAGO

Tom Weber | Writer

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Barcelona winger Anthony Gordon is set for an unexpected reunion with former Mexico coach Javier Aguirre in LaLiga this season.

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The two shared a viral moment at the World Cup this summer when England faced El Tri at the Azteca in the round of 16. During a hydration break, Aguirre first spoke to Jude Bellingham, reportedly asking to receive his jersey after the match, before turning to Gordon.

At the time, the winger stood with his back to El Vasco, who jokingly shouted, "Gordon, f*ck you!" then burst out laughing, prompting Gordon to turn around and laugh as well.

The 25-year-old saw the funny side of this little provocation and took it in stride, helping England win 3-2. Following his team's elimination, Aguirre left his role as Mexico manager and remained unattached throughout the summer.

Gordon, meanwhile, joined Barcelona for a whopping €80 million and has managed to impress at his new club, notching five assists in six LaLiga outings. At the end of January, he could be surprisingly reunited with Aguirre.

Valencia appoint Aguirre

That's because Valencia have announced the appointment of the 67-year-old as their new head coach in a rather unexpected turn of events, given that El Vasco's career at the top of the European game appeared to be over.

However, the Mexican has extensive coaching experience in Spain, previously leading Osasuna, Atletico Madrid, Zaragoza, Espanyol, Leganes and, most recently, Mallorca from 2022 to 2024.

Javier Aguirre llama a Gordon, le dice "F**k you" a la cara y acto seguido comienzan a reírse los dos

No era ni el minuto 30 y Aguirre ya estaba de coña. El mejor pic.twitter.com/5TDrNHmUFn
— VERSUS (@VERSUSapuestas) July 6, 2026

Valencia, a fallen giant of LaLiga, are now looking to lean on this experience after cleaning house in the wake of a disastrous start to the season. On 13 September, head coach Carlos Corberan was sacked, as was CEO Ron Gourlay and all of his associates.

Prior to the Diego Simeone era at Atletico Madrid, Valencia used to be the third-biggest club in Spain, but they have been left scrambling for survival since accruing massive debts in the 2000s and the Peter Lim takeover in 2014.

The Singaporean businessman has become persona non grata as far as supporters are concerned due to his disastrous ownership. With the exception of a couple of promising seasons, Valencia have been stuck in mid-table obscurity or battling against relegation over the past decade.

Valencia have lost five of their first seven matches in LaLiga, giving rise to widespread apathy in what should have been a season of celebration as the club are slated to belatedly move into their Nou Mestalla stadium next year - following an almost 20-year delay.

The fiery Aguirre has the personality to resuscitate the club, but does he have the coaching credentials in 2026? Time will tell.

As for his reunion with Gordon, this will only take place on 31 January because Valencia have already played Barcelona in the early stages of this season.

An embarrassing 5-0 loss at the start of the month undermined Corberan's position and ultimately contributed to his sacking the following week. Barcelona could have scored 10 in that game, so you would hope that the return fixture under Aguirre won't be quite as one-sided.