CHARLTON chief executive Peter Varney has promised that the club’s innovative four-year collaboration with La Liga giants Valencia will not go the same way as the 2000 collapse of a similar arrangement with Inter Milan.

Under the terms of the arrangement, Charlton will have first option on Valencia players, should they wish to transfer to the Premier League. Equally, should any of Charlton’s top players want to play in Spain, Valencia will have first option.

Charlton head coach Iain Dowie and Valencia opposite number Quique Sanchez Flores will shadow each other, both at The Valley and the Mestalla.

The two clubs will integrate their scouting networks whereby, for example, if Charlton are in the market for a player, Valencia would use their contacts in the Spanish market – and vice-versa.

Already, there is speculation that at least one Valencia midfielder could be heading for The Valley.

The two clubs, who share a sponsor in property giants Llanera, will also work in tandem on community projects and benefit from combined marketing and commercial opportunies.

Mr Varney said: "Already, I can hear our supporters saying 'but wasn’t this supposed to happen with Inter Milan?'

"I can assure them that this time it will work. When we entered into the agreement with Inter Milan, they were a club in turmoil and we weren’t in the Premier League so there was a big difference in the wages we paid.

"Inter Milan then changed managers and the new regime were not keen on linking up with us. I can assure our supporters that Valencia are very much up for this arrangement."

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