Javier Aguirre brushes off infamous World Cup banter with Anthony Gordon

New Valencia head coach Javier Aguirre has moved to put his viral touchline moment with Barcelona winger Anthony Gordon behind him. During the 2026 World Cup round of 16, cameras captured the veteran manager shouting an expletive at the England international, a moment that quickly spread across social media.

Speaking during his official presentation as the new Valencia manager, Aguirre addressed the incident, insisting it was merely a heat-of-the-moment reaction during England's 3-2 victory. "It was a silly thing to do. A spur-of-the-moment thing in the World Cup frenzy, these things happen, that's it," the 67-year-old explained.

Aguirre emphasized that there is no lingering animosity, joking that he might even ask the former Newcastle man to sign a photo of the incident for his children. For his part, Gordon, who joined Barcelona this summer, has previously dismissed the confrontation as good-natured ribbing following a physical battle on the pitch.

The Mexican tactician now faces the serious challenge of steering Valencia away from relegation danger. His competitive debut is scheduled for October 11 against Racing Santander, while the reunion with Gordon in La Liga is set for late January.