"Should have stayed": Salenko calls his move from Valencia the biggest mistake of his career

Former Dynamo Kyiv striker and 1994 World Cup record holder Oleg Salenko, in an exclusive interview with Sport RBC.UA, admitted that his transfer from Spanish club Valencia to Scottish side Rangers was, in his own words, the biggest mistake of his football career. Years later, the forward—who became the top scorer in a single World Cup tournament—openly stated that he "should not have acted rashly" back then and that he ought to have stayed in Spain, where he had already grown accustomed to the lifestyle and even bought a house.

Valencia as a second home

Salenko emphasized that it was in Valencia where he felt most comfortable throughout his entire overseas career. The city, the atmosphere, the daily life, and the overall environment of Spain appealed to him so much that he purchased property there and integrated smoothly into local society. According to the player, by that time he had already established solid routine and social connections that made extending his contract a logical and natural step. Despite some minor disagreements between Salenko and the head coach at one point, the situation was resolved, and their relationship improved.

The moment of choice and the signed contract

A key turning point occurred after a coaching change at Valencia. The new manager, according to Salenko, wanted the forward to stay with the team, and both sides could have reached a mutually acceptable solution. However, by that time Salenko had already signed a contract with Rangers, making a return impossible. "Perhaps I shouldn't have acted rashly back then; I should have stayed at Valencia. I was already used to Spain, living there, and I had bought a house. When the manager changed at the club, the opportunity arose to continue my spell there. He wanted me to stay, and we could have reached an agreement. But by that time, I had already signed a contract with Rangers," Salenko shared in the interview.

Scotland and the star-studded Rangers squad

At Rangers, Salenko played alongside such renowned footballers as Denmark's Brian Laudrup, Englishmen Paul Gascoigne and Ally McCoist. The squad was powerful, and the club itself was one of the leading names in Scottish football. Nevertheless, after living in Spain, Scotland proved to be a significantly less comfortable environment for the Ukrainian player. Salenko admitted that after the move he realized how much he missed the familiar Spanish surroundings, and if he could turn back time, he would most likely have made a different decision.

Injuries and the end of his career

Apart from the geographical factor, Salenko's subsequent career was severely impacted by health issues. Injuries that began during his time at Valencia and persisted thereafter prevented the forward from returning to the level he reached in the early 1990s. It was this combination of domestic discomfort in Scotland and a physical decline, in the player's own estimation, that turned the move to Rangers into a flawed step that he now openly calls the biggest mistake of his professional biography.