Agirrezabala: “We’ll try to make the most o Mestalla against Athletic Club to reach the Copa semifinals”

Valencia CF goalkeeper Julen Agirrezabala was the guest on l’Informatiu on VCF Media Radio to discuss the upcoming Copa del Rey quarterfinal tie against Athletic Club, as well as the arrival of Unai Núñez, who was also his teammate at the Basque club during the 2021–22 season.

Recovery from injury

“We’re continuing with the recovery and eager to be back as soon as possible, but with good feelings. Every day I’m working with the doctors and physiotherapists, and we’re sticking to the established timelines. We all want to play, and getting injured and knowing you’ll be out for a while is never pleasant, but I’m really keen to return as soon as I can.”

Copa match against Athletic Club
“It’s a very special match. Two clubs that really value the Copa, with huge fan bases and a lot of excitement around the competition. The game will be at the Camp de Mestalla with our supporters, and we’ll need to put in a very complete performance to reach the semifinals. The absences they’re dealing with are hurting them, but they still have dangerous players.”

Camp de Mestalla
“In this format, playing at home is vitally important. We came through the previous rounds convincingly and now we’re playing in front of our own fans, which we’ll try to take advantage of to get through. We’re competing at a good level and we need to keep going in that direction.”

Form
“We’ve been competing at a high level. Yesterday was a shame because the team put in a huge effort. Defensively we were solid and we had our chances going forward. Matches that are so evenly balanced are decided by details, and in the final minutes they scored the second goal. We finished the first half of the season in a difficult situation, but there’s a very small gap from ninth place downward. We’ve taken a step forward and we need to maintain that competitive level to keep picking up wins.”

Unai Núñez

“I’ve seen him doing very well. Before he signed here, I sent him a message explaining what Valencia CF is like and recommending that he come. He can add a lot to the squad. He’s an outstanding person, always performs at a very high level, and he’s a reliable, strong center-back with good ball distribution. He’s had a very good career.”