| 2017–18 season | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chairman |  Anil Murthy | |||
| Manager |  Jesús Oliva | |||
| Stadium | Antoni Puchades Stadium | |||
| Primera División | Fifth | |||
| Copa de la Reina | Quarterfinalist | |||
| Top goalscorer | María Paz Vilas (19) | |||
| Highest home attendance | 1,600 | |||
| Lowest home attendance | 100 | |||
TheValencia CF Femenino 2017–18 season was the ninth season of thewomen's football section ofValencia CF. The team ended thechampionship in 5th position and was eliminated in thenational cup's quarterfinals by league championAtlético Madrid.
The2016–17 season had seen the team attain its best result in the championship yet, third position, and play for the first time in the club's main venue, theMestalla Stadium. The ambitious project behind this successful season was reported as a personal initiative of presidentLay Hoon Chan,[1] but she resigned in mid-season due to the disappointingseason by the men's team. The departure of managerCristian Toro after five seasons was reported in May with one game remaining,[2] and on 20 June, a few days after the team was eliminated in theCopa de la Reina's semifinals byFC Barcelona, his second in commandJesús Oliva was appointed his successor.[3] Oliva, a coach at Valencia Femenino since the team's establishment in 2009, had been the manager of the club's B team that topped the2015–16 Segunda División's Group 7.[4]
Most of the previous season's key signings left the team, asEstefanía Banini andYanara Aedo returned toWashington Spirit, andChristiane Endler was transferred toParis Saint-Germain, with the €30,000 fee to Valencia the first paid transfer in Spanish women's football.[5] Another notable loss was the departure ofClaudia Zornoza, who left forReal Sociedad.Jennifer Vreugdenhil, coming from theEredivisie, replaced Endler as the team's first-choice goalkeeper, and Valencia signedNoelia Bermúdez,Marta Carro,Sandra Hernández andAnair Lomba within the Primera División market. After the championship was underway the team was joined byNadezhda Karpova, the first Russian to play in thePrimera División.
Facing a harsh championship start, the team suffered more defeats in the six first games than in the whole previous campaign against top teamsAthletic Bilbao,Atlético Madrid andBarcelona, and wasn't able to dislodge them from the three top positions for the remainder of the season. The team suffered a chain of injuries,[6] and so in the winter window transferMandy van den Berg, who had finished herWSL campaign withReading, was signed to make up for the long-time absences ofNatalia Gaitán andPaula Nicart in the team's defense.
Unlike the previous season, theValencia derby on 9 December was scheduled for the team's usual ground at theCiudad Deportiva de Paterna rather than in the Mestalla, and it was reported in the media that the club intended to reserve its main venue for the male team.[7] All political parties in theValencian Courts issued an institutional statement demanding the club to allow the team to play in Mestalla.[8] Hours later the club replied with a statement defending its social policies for gender equality and women's sport, regretting the criticisms as an alleged lack of awareness of its commitment and leaving an open door to eventual future appearances of the women's team in Mestalla.[9] Months later, the away derby fixture was staged inLevante's main venue, theCiutat de València Stadium, before a crowd of 14,000.[10]
By mid-April, a seven games non-winning streak left Valencia in sixth position, with a 4 points advantage to defend in the last four games in order to qualify for theCopa de la Reina.[11] Valencia won all four games and surpassedBetis in the table, ending fifth. The Cup's draw matched Valencia with league champion Atlético, which resulted in defeats in both games. One week later Jesús Oliva was sacked, but he stayed in the women's team as its academy's coordinator, whileÓscar Suárez succeeded him as the team's new manager.[12]
| In | Out | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Pos. | Player | Origin | Date | Pos. | Player | Destination | |
| 2017–07–04[13] | MF | Sandra Hernández | Barcelona | 2017–06–19[14] | MF |  Estefanía Banini |  Washington Spirit | |
| 2017–07–06[15] | GK |  Noelia Bermúdez | Levante | 2017–06–22[16] | MF | Esther Romero | Retirement | |
| 2017–07–06[17] | GK | Andrea Esteban | Levante | 2017–06–27[18] | FW |  Yanara Aedo | Washington Spirit | |
| 2017–07–11[19] | DF | Marta Carro | Madrid | 2017–06–29[20] | GK | Esther Sullastres | Zaragoza | |
| 2017–07–14[21] | MF | Anair Lomba | Espanyol | 2017–07–03[22] | DF | Sara Micó | Sporting Plaza de Argel | |
| 2017–07–18[23] | GK |  Jennifer Vreugdenhil | ADO Den Haag | 2017–07–05[24] | GK | Christiane Endler |  Paris Saint-Germain | |
| 2017–09–22[25] | FW |  Nadezhda Karpova | Chertanovo | 2017–07–05[26] | MF | Claudia Florentino | Albacete | |
| 2018–01–08[27] | DF | Mandy van den Berg |  Reading | 2017–07–10[28] | MF | Claudia Zornoza | Real Sociedad | |
| 2017–07–28[29] | MF |  Maya Yamamoto | Zaragoza | |||||
Win Draw Loss Postponed
| 4 August 2017COTIF – G1 | Valencia | 1–0 | Levante |  L'Alcúdia (Els Arcs) |
| 19:15 | Borini 67' | Report | Attendance: 1,600 Referee:Fuentes Molina |
| 7 August 2017COTIF – G2 | Valencia | 2–0 | Atlético Madrid | L'Alcúdia (Els Arcs) |
| 17:30 | Borini 42' Cubedo 49' | Report | Referee:Frigols Sancho |
| 9 August 2017COTIF – G3 | Valencia | 2–0 | Albi | L'Alcúdia (Els Arcs) |
| 17:30 | Peiró 5' Esteban 22' | Report | Stadium:Els Arcs Referee:Tórtola García |
| 10 August 2017COTIF – G4 | Valencia | 0–1 | Morocco(national team) | L'Alcúdia (Els Arcs) |
| 19:15 | Report | Meryem 55' | Stadium:Els Arcs Referee:Barceló Gómez |
| 11 August 2017COTIF – F | Valencia | 1–3 | Atlético Madrid | L'Alcúdia (Els Arcs) |
| 20:15 | Borini 28' | Report | Bermúdez 21' Carro 25' (o.g.)Bautista 44' | Stadium:Els Arcs Attendance: 4,000 Referee:Amorós Ramírez |
| 14 August 2017MIFT – G1 | Valencia | 1–2 | Montpellier |  Fuenlabrada(La Aldehuela) |
| 11:00 |
| 15 August 2017MIFT – G2 | Valencia | 0–3 | Anderlecht | Fuenlabrada(La Aldehuela) |
| 13:00 |
| 16 August 2017MIFT – G3 | Atlético Madrid | 1–1 | Valencia | Fuenlabrada(La Aldehuela) |
| 13:00 |
| 2 September 20171 | Real Sociedad | 0–1 | Valencia |  Usurbil(Zubieta) |
| Report | Vilas 56' | Attendance: 500 Referee:  Peláez Arnillas |
| 10 September 20172 | Valencia | 1–1 | Santa Teresa | Paterna(Antoni Puchades) |
| Vilas 6' | Report | Lima 45' | Attendance: 400 Referee:  Líndez Ciurana |
| 24 September 20173 | Athletic Bilbao | 3–2 | Valencia | Lezama(Facilities) |
| Corres 10',76' Zárate 80' | Report | Vilas 16' Borini 84' | Attendance: 471 Referee:  Fernández Ceferino |
| 1 October 20174 | Valencia | 1–0 | Sporting Huelva | Paterna(Antoni Puchades) |
| Hernández 14' | Report | Attendance: 450 Referee: Sánchez Miguel |
| 7 October 20175 | Valencia | 0–1 | Atlético Madrid | Paterna(Antoni Puchades) |
| Report | Corredera 38' | Attendance: 1,250 Referee:  Martínez Madrona |
| 14 October 20176 | Barcelona | 2–0 | Valencia | Sant Joan(Joan Gamper) |
| Duggan 28' Putellas 76' | Report | Attendance: 623 Referee:  Huerta de Aza |
| 29 October 20177 | Valencia | 4–0 | Madrid | Paterna(Antoni Puchades) |
| Lomba 44',64' Szymanowski 53'Karpova 72' | Report | Attendance: 400 Referee:  González González |
| 5 November 20178 | Granadilla | 0–0 | Valencia | San Isidro(La Palmera) |
| Report | Attendance: 700 Referee: Arregui Gamir |
| 12 November 20179 | Valencia | 5–2 | Betis | Paterna(Antoni Puchades) |
| Karpova 2',62' Vilas 40'Lomba 47'Férez 72' | Report | Borja 48' Moreno 68' | Attendance: 800 Referee: Líndez Ciurana |
| 18 November 201710 | Sevilla | 1–3 | Valencia |  Seville(Viejo Nervión) |
| Morilla 63' | Report | Szymanowski 16',40' Peiró 22' | Attendance: 186 Referee:  Frías Acedo |
| 2 December 201711 | Valencia | 1–1 | Espanyol | Paterna(Antoni Puchades) |
| Vilas 60' | Report | del Estal 67' | Attendance: 400 Referee: Casal Fernández |
| 18 November 201712 | Rayo Vallecano | 4–2 | Valencia | Madrid(Fundación Rayo) |
| del Álamo 16' Pablos 48',73'Ponciano 86' | Report | Vilas 24' Férez 57' | Attendance: 186 Referee: Prieto Martínez |
| 9 December 201713 | Valencia | 2–3 | Levante | Paterna(Antoni Puchades) |
| Vilas 36' Peiró 90+1' | Report | Ramos 62' (pen.) Casado 75',82' | Attendance: 1,600 Referee: Huerta de Aza |
| 16 December 201714 | Zaragoza | 1–3 | Valencia | Zaragoza(Pedro Sancho) |
| Yamamoto 90+2' | Report | Vilas 6' Férez 72'Peiró 79' | Attendance: 400 Referee: Acevedo Dudley |
| 7 January 201815 | Valencia | 3–0 | Albacete | Paterna(Antoni Puchades) |
| Szymanowski 5',33' Férez 85' | Report | Referee:Líndez Ciurana |
| 13 January 201816 | Valencia | 3–1 | Real Sociedad | Paterna(Antoni Puchades) |
| Vilas 33',44',58' | Report | Beristain 89' | Attendance: 650 Referee: Cebollada López |
| 28 January 201817 | Santa Teresa | 1–1 | Valencia |  Badajoz(El Viejo Vivero) |
| Merino 28' | Report | Szymanowski 70' | Attendance: 600 Referee: Kinga-Hajnalka |
| 4 February 201818 | Valencia | 3–1 | Athletic Bilbao | Paterna(Antoni Puchades) |
| Vilas 6',44' Hernández 54' | Report | Cirauqui 16' | Attendance: 100 Referee: Prieto Martínez |
| 11 February 201819 | Sporting Huelva | 1–3 | Valencia | Huelva(La Orden) |
| Castelló 47' | Report | Vilas 10',32' Hernández 89' | Attendance: 100 Referee: Huerta de Aza |
| 17 February 201820 | Atlético Madrid | 1–0 | Valencia | Majadahonda(Cerro del Espino) |
| Bermúdez 24' | Report | Attendance: 463 Referee: Casal Fernández |
| 25 February 201821 | Valencia | 1–4 | Barcelona | Paterna(Antoni Puchades) |
| Peiró 90+1' | Report | León 4' Martens 35'Torrejón 45+1'Andonova 62' | Attendance: 1,200 Referee: Contreras Patiño |
| 10 March 201822 | Madrid | 2–1 | Valencia | San Sebastián (Matapiñonera) |
| del Río 72' Geyse 81' | Report | Peiró 55' | Attendance: 322= Referee: Martínez Madrona |
| 18 March 201823 | Valencia | 0–0 | Granadilla | Paterna (Antoni Puchades) |
| Report | Attendance: 400 Referee: Líndez Ciurana |
| 24 March 201824 | Betis | 0–0 | Valencia | Seville (Luis del Sol) |
| Report | Attendance: 350 Referee: Sánchez Miguel |
| 31 March 201825 | Valencia | 1–1 | Sevilla | Paterna (Antoni Puchades) |
| Vilas 73' | Report | Calderón 35' | Attendance: 1,000 Referee: Arregui Gamir |
| 15 April 201826 | Espanyol | 0–0 | Valencia | Sant Adrià (Dani Jarque) |
| Report | Attendance: 400 Referee: Prieto Martínez |
| 22 April 201827 | Valencia | 4–1 | Rayo Vallecano | Paterna (Antoni Puchades) |
| Santiago 7' (o.g.) Vilas 32',44',49' | Report | Domínguez 80' | Attendance: 400 Referee: Rivera Olmedo |
| 28 April 201828 | Levante | 0–1 | Valencia | Valencia (Ciutat de València) |
| Report | Lomba 36' | Attendance: 14,000 Referee: Martínez Madrona |
| 5 May 201829 | Valencia | 1–0 | Zaragoza | Paterna (Antoni Puchades) |
| Peiró 90+4' | Report | Attendance: 900 Referee: Kinga-Hajnalka |
| 12 May 201830 | Albacete | 0–2 | Valencia |  Albacete (Andrés Iniesta) |
| Report | García 35' Szymanowski 42' | Attendance: 250 Referee: Acevedo Dudley |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Athletic Bilbao | 30 | 18 | 2 | 10 | 51 | 41 | 56 | Qualification for theCopa de la Reina |
| 4 | Granadilla | 30 | 16 | 6 | 8 | 48 | 33 | 54 | |
| 5 | Valencia | 30 | 14 | 8 | 8 | 49 | 32 | 50 | |
| 6 | Betis | 30 | 14 | 4 | 12 | 40 | 37 | 46 | |
| 7 | Real Sociedad | 30 | 10 | 8 | 12 | 42 | 37 | 38 |
| 19 May 2018QF – L1 | Atlético Madrid | 2–1 | Valencia | Majadahonda (Cerro del Espino) |
| 20:45 | Corredera 57' Sampedro 63' | Report | Peiró 37' | Attendance: 916 Referee: Casal Fernández |
| 23 May 2018QF – L2 | Valencia | 1–2 | Atlético Madrid | Paterna (Antoni Puchades) |
| 21:00 | Szymanowski 90+5' | Report | Sampedro 9' Falcón 90+3' | Attendance: 1,700 Referee: Acevedo Dudley |
| No. | Pos. | Born | Since | FIFA | Player | Games | Goals | Disciplinary record | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nationality | FC |  |  | |||||||
| 1 | GK | 1994 | 2017–18 | Costa Rica | 2014 | Noelia Bermúdez | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | DF | 1990 | 2017–18 | Netherlands | 2010 | Mandy van den Berg | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | DF | 1994 | 2014–15 | Spain | 2015 | Paula Nicart | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | DF | 1992 | 2010–11 | Spain | Salomé Navalón | 13 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| 5 | DF | 1994 | 2009–10 | Spain | 2015 | Ivana Andrés | 29 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 6 | MF | 1997 | 2017–18 | Spain | 2018 | Sandra Hernández | 28 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| 7 | MF | 1988 | 2015–16 |  Brazil | 2017 | Joyce Borini | 26 | 1 | 6 | 0 |
| 8 | MF | 1998 | 2016–17 | Spain | Ángeles Carrión | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 9 | FW | 1998 | 2016–17 | Spain | Marta Peiró | 23 | 6 | 1 | 0 | |
| 10 | FW | 1988 | 2013–14 | Spain | 2008 | María Paz Vilas | 28 | 19 | 4 | 0 |
| 11 | FW | 1990 | 2016–17 | Argentina | 2014 | Marianela Szymanowski | 27 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| 13 | GK | 1995 | 2017–18 | Netherlands | 2018 | Jennifer Vreugdenhil | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | MF | 1991 | 2014–15 | Spain | 2015 | Carol Férez | 21 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 15 | DF | 1991 | 2017–18 | Spain | 2018 | Marta Carro | 29 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 16 | MF | 1989 | 2017–18 | Spain | Anair Lomba | 21 | 4 | 3 | 0 | |
| 17 | MF | 1989 | 2016–17 | Spain | 2012 | Débora García | 20 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 18 | DF | 1991 | 2015–16 |  Colombia | 2011 | Natalia Gaitán | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | FW | 1995 | 2017–18 | Russia | 2016 | Nadezhda Karpova | 22 | 3 | 5 | 0 |
| 20 | MF | 1989 | 2013–14 | Spain | Georgina Carreras | 25 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| 21 | FW | 1996 | 2017–18 | Spain | Andrea Esteban | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 26 | DF | 1998 | 2013–14 | Spain | Cintia Montagut | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 27 | DF | 1997 | 2016–17 | Spain | Neus Llinares | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 29 | MF | 1998 | 2017–18 | Spain | Paula Sancho | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 30 | DF | 1999 | 2017–18 | Spain | Cristina Cubedo | 19 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| DF | 1997 | 2017–18 | Spain | Lidia Navarro | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| MF | 2000 | 2017–18 | Spain | Alejandra Serrano | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| MF | 2017–18 | Spain | Julia Aguado | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
