After a productive year, Vicente was linked with a host of important clubs, but turned down any eventual move and signed a further four-year extension, stating: "I'm happy to remain at Valencia because I was born here and it's my home." In the 2004–05 season, however, under the management of Claudio Ranieri, his forays down the wing appeared stagnated as the coach opted to favour fellow Italian Emiliano Moretti to provide support for him rather than to let him have a free role along the left – furthermore, ankle injuries hindered his campaign and he spent much of the beginning on the sidelines. As he returned, the manager had already been sacked, Valencia ranked seventh and he only appeared in 12 league matches; in the following year more of the same, as the side finished 11 points behind eventual champions FC Barcelona and he was again bothered by an ankle condition.