Aguirre: "Turning the situation around is a question of hard work"

Valencia CF coach Javier Aguirre spoke to the media after the team's 0-3 loss to Real Madrid at Mestalla. 

KEEPING WORKING

“I wouldn’t say we had a great game and lost; that’s not true. They were the better side and deserved the win. All we can do now is keep working; the results will come. We had been on a good run, showing progress, though we still had shortcomings in various areas of the pitch, both with and without the ball. We managed to hold on for 20 minutes until the first goal, but after that, the team struggled emotionally. The second goal, given the way it happened, and us reaching halftime two goals down, proved to be a massive burden. It’s incredibly difficult to come back from a two-goal deficit against Real Madrid. All we could really do was try to make the scoreline look a bit more respectable, to ensure it didn’t turn into a completely one-sided affair. And once we were down to ten men, it became, frankly, extremely difficult.”

ERRORS

“The way we played the ball out for the second goal was a very costly mistake. Real Madrid are a team that don’t let you off. I said before the match that we needed to play a perfect game, and today we didn’t. It was an unfortunate move on our part. After that, down to 10 men and with so much space left open, we were at their mercy. It was a very tough defeat. We tried as best we could. Certain circumstances during the match prevented us from staying in it. Moves like the one that led to the second goal are, quite clearly, avoidable.”

REFEREEING DECISIONS

“It would be very easy for me to talk about the referee and curry favour with the fans. I’m not going to do that, but I will share a point I raised with the referee. If he called a foul on the first goal, it had to be a red card. That’s the only thing I said to him, right there: ‘If you called a foul, it’s a red card.’ He just looked at me and didn’t say a word. That’s all I can tell you regarding the referees.”

A TOUGH DEFEAT

“No outcome is a good one when you play against Real Madrid. These are very intense matches where you have to perform at your best, and today we didn’t. We had been doing well in our last four games, and today, up until the first goal, it was very evenly matched. The second goal was a crushing blow; it was very difficult to recover from that. We maintained our emotional balance and the right attitude until the very end. For that, I want to commend my players. They never gave up, at least in terms of their attitude. It’s a sad night, because playing against Real Madrid is always a great motivator. We would have liked to stay in the game for longer, but it wasn’t to be. Both goals were avoidable, and they completely disrupted our entire game plan.”

TAKING DECISIONS

“We are human beings. Last time, Stole played the ball to Javi Guerra, resulting in a goal being conceded; this time, it was a transition that led to a goal. Mistakes are inherent to the game, and to anyone who has to make decisions. If you stay at home or sit on the bench, you won’t make any mistakes. As coaches, we have very little room for manoeuvre during a match. You have your shouts from the sidelines, five substitutions, and fifteen minutes at halftime. The real work is done throughout the week. But, in that specific moment, the player you’ve been coaching on how to play out from the back… If you look closely, this was the first match where we played long balls. We didn’t try to play out from the back precisely because we didn’t feel secure with the ball. That particular attempt was a short pass, intended to attack the opposition, but they did a good job. It’s Real Madrid; against teams like that, you have to play a perfect match.”

THE SET-TO DURING HALFTIME

“I have no idea about it. I was the first one to head inside. We were losing, and I was furious, so I wanted to go straight to the dressing room to wait for the team and cool off so I could analyse things. The analyst shows me footage so we can see what we did well and what we did poorly. I wasn’t aware of anything. I only found out just now in the dressing room. I was told that something happened. There’s footage that can confirm I went straight to the dressing room. No one said anything to me at halftime. I’ve been told that people were going to ask me about the scuffle at halftime, but I had no idea what they were talking about.”

THE REACTION FROM MESTALLA

“The last victory against Real Madrid was in 2023, with a goal from Diego López. Clearly, Mestalla deserves a different kind of send-off. The circumstances are what they are. I’ve been in charge for three home matches, and I haven’t managed to win a single one. That troubles me; it’s a source of concern. But that’s football. We would have loved to pay tribute to this stadium with a win,which would have been quite a notable and rewarding result, but it wasn’t to be. Our opponents were the better side. All I can do is applaud them and keep moving forward. The journey continues. The club’s history doesn’t deserve our current position, but our performance certainly does. We haven’t been able to turn the situation around. Ultimately, it’s a matter of hard work. I’m not going to sit here and say we’ll improve by bringing in 14 new signings; it’s about work, work, and improvement, and about being a bit more daring. There were moments in the game, with the score already at 0–2, where the team didn’t play badly. Perhaps, with the game already effectively lost, they relaxed and started to play. That was the message at halftime. We tried with the resources we had, but it didn’t work out. It’s clear that we need to improve, both at home and away.”

HOW THE FANS FEEL

“I’m not on social media. I spend a lot of time out and about with my wife, and people are full of enthusiasm. They trust me, and I, in turn, trust the fans. Whenever I’ve come here as an opponent, I’ve seen a fanbase that’s incredibly supportive of their team; they made it feel very difficult to play here. I want to bring that back. I think people are anxious because the results aren’t there, but I see signs of progress. The players train well; we just haven’t been rewarded for it. Two home defeats hurt a lot -the first one because of how it unfolded, and today’s because, while a loss was always a possibility, those two goals were a massive psychological blow. They were two avoidable situations. I have no intention of criticising my players publicly. As for the referee, I’ve already said what I told him. I’m not going to make excuses. We owe the fans more; we’re in the relegation zone, and we have to keep working. We need to keep our mouths shut, stop justifying our mistakes, flaws, or shortcomings, and look ahead. That is my responsibility. The fans see the players’ effort, but they don’t see much improvement—and certainly not in terms of results. Real Madrid are a team that don’t let you off.”

HUGO DURO

“If I had brought him on, people would have asked me why I didn’t bring on a player from the academy. But I understand the question. There’s nothing wrong with Hugo. Sadiq has returned, and Aimar has been training well. I simply felt that either of them was a suitable option for this match. There is absolutely nothing wrong with Hugo Duro.”

THINGS TO BE POSITIVE ABOUT

“When I speak of ‘promising things’ it’s because I see things now that I didn’t see when I first arrived. However, out of professional ethics, I’m hesitant to elaborate further, as people might link such comments to the previous coaching staff, and I want to avoid that. Since I arrived, the team have shown positive signs, starting from the very first game. It’s difficult to make this case when the results aren’t there. You have every right to argue that things aren’t working and that we’re regressing, but I believe the team are moving forward. Today was a tough challenge; even when we’re at our best, Real Madrid are always an incredibly difficult opponent. We’re turning the page and getting back to work now, as we have six matches left in the first half of the season, and we’re short on points. We must keep pushing to secure them. Ideally, we’ll do so by playing well.”

HIS YELLOW CARD

“I’m not entirely sure if the rulebook says it, but if you make the VAR gesture toward a referee, it’s a yellow card. I made a gesture referring to contact with the ball, and it was also a yellow card. From now on, apparently, this is a yellow card, too.”

HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH MOURINHO

“My son went to school with his daughter in Madrid for many years. He even attended her wedding in London not long ago. I’ve known Jose for many years; he’s a friend. And he’s a truly great coach -one of the very best in the world. I’ll always be grateful for the kindness he’s shown to both me and my son.”

OPTIMISM

“All I can do is remain optimistic. It’s very difficult to say anything to the fans right now because they’re hurting so much. My only option is to keep my mouth shut, get to work, and bring them some joy through victories -not just by playing well only to end up with another defeat. The fans need a win, especially at home. I haven’t been able to give them any reason to celebrate; they go home sad. It’s my duty to bring that joy back to them.”