Aguirre: “We’re facing this Copa del Rey game with respect and seriousness”

Valencia CF coach Javier Aguirre held a press conference before the rescheduled Copa del Rey game against UE Tavernes de la Valldigna.

Hugo Duro, Diakhaby, and Elliott

“When we arrived, Diakhaby was injured; we helped him recover, and now he’s been called up to his national team. He cares deeply for the club, he’s a cornerstone of our team and he’ll be back in action soon. Elliott played in Santander. He’s been getting regular minutes and we’ve been working with him on a few areas for improvement, which he’s handled well. Hugo has also seen playing time; we have Sadiq and Aimar in that same position, and they’re both doing well.”

Challenges

“It’s a great challenge. I didn’t hesitate to take the job, and we’re seeing positive signs. We’ve improved in training, even if that hasn’t translated into results yet.”

Playing at Mestalla

“The playing surface is different; otherwise, we would have trained on an artificial pitch or changed our boots. The team were more than happy to play at Mestalla, as there will be a larger crowd, and it’ll have a celebratory atmosphere -the kind of a classic, one-off Copa del Rey tie.”

The Copa del Rey

“It’s not a distraction at all. It’s a wonderful, attractive competition. We’re approaching it with great respect and seriousness.”

Sato

“He’s in the same position as the other 26 players. He trains well, and everyone is fit, with the exception of Otorbi and Jesús, who are injured. The level across the squad is very balanced.”

The match against Real Madrid CF

“We showed a very good attitude, but the game shifted in the 25th minute when they scored. It threw us off mentally. In terms of our actual play, however, we’ve improved according to the metrics.”

UE Tavernes

“We have to respect them; they were our opponents in the draw, and they must have done something right to reach this stage. These are the kinds of matches you remember for the rest of your life; that’s the excitement football brings. We need to approach this as a serious game, field the players we believe are the best choice, respect the rules, and play well.”

His team’s state of mind

“They are professionals. Matches against Real Madrid CF are always attractive. Players naturally find motivation, and it’s very easy to shift focus because the Copa del Rey is such an attractive competition itself. The players are eager to perform well and put in a strong showing.”

The referee’s report regarding the game against Real Madrid CF

“I spoke with Braulio; he told me he went down pitchside and expressed his disagreement with the referee’s decisions, and the official noted this in the match report.”

The left-back position

“We won’t be fielding Gayà; we’ll see how we resolve that, but we have plenty of options. I’m not worried; there are alternatives. Perhaps using a player in an inverted position. The squad is big, and we have versatile players.”

Comments from Mourinho after the game

“He told me not to worry, that his players were simply better. I listened, as he’s a friend of mine, and I congratulated him on the win. I have very good players myself; otherwise, I wouldn’t be here. Valencia CF are one of the giants of Spanish football. Hopefully, sooner or later, we will return to the position this club deserves.”

The incident involving Maffeo and Mbappé

“Situations like that are always tricky to judge. In my view, it wasn’t a foul. The ball was left behind Mbappé; Maffeo arrived, and Mbappé went down. And if it was a foul, why wasn’t he sent off? I asked the referee, and the response was that Mbappé didn’t have control of the ball. That confirmed to me that it wasn’t a red card. VAR exists to assist with these kinds of decisions. I will never use officiating as an excuse for a defeat. Real Madrid were the better side and deserved to win.”

Schedule

“Experience has taught me that I can’t look any further ahead than our matches against UE Tavernes and Rayo Vallecano. It’s about taking things day by day, match by match. We can’t look beyond those upcoming games.”

VCF Academy players

“At the time this game was initially scheduled, we had Raúl Jiménez, Aimar, Otorbi, Iker Córdoba, Mayol in the squad, as well as Gamón, Jaume Durà, and Panach. They have games this Wednesday and again on Sunday. We’ve spoken with Óscar García, the VCF Mestalla coach, and we’ll do our best to ensure that everything works out well across these various fixtures.”