L. Rioja: “We must secure the three points for the fans and for Mestalla”

Valencia CF player Luis Rioja was the special guest on VCF Media Radio’s l’Informatiu, where he discussed the team’s current situation and the upcoming match against Real Madrid CF.

Condolences following the passing of CD Tenerife player Jesús de Miguel

“The most important thing right now is his family, those close to him, the Club and everyone affected by this tragedy. We want to send them all our encouragement and support. All matches will, of course, be dedicated to him and to the great sportsman he was. We know football is about enjoyment, but tragic moments like these are something we never want to experience. The best tribute we can pay to him is to dedicate this entire matchday to his memory. Whenever we step onto the pitch, we do so to enjoy ourselves. Owono is also a very good lad and is going through an extremely difficult time. We want to send him our strength and support too. I'm sure he is among those most deeply affected by this tragedy.”

The match against Real Madrid CF

“We are really looking forward to it. The win gives you belief and the boost we needed. It will be a demanding match, and we are approaching it with great enthusiasm and excitement. We have to make ourselves strong here at Mestalla. Every victory at Mestalla should be special, and even more so against a team of this calibre. We have to get all three points for the fans and to give them a fitting farewell in a match of this magnitude at Mestalla. We need to make ourselves strong, and the fans have been helping us enormously, but we haven't managed to repay their affection and support with victories. There is no better feeling than winning. We need to put in a good, disciplined and solid performance and remain fully focused.”

Victory against Elche CF

“It is a special victory. When we won in Vitoria, we then had two or three good matchdays, which shows that winning gives the team confidence and momentum. We have to build on that.”

Keeping a clean sheet

“We are aware that keeping clean sheets guarantees you points, and we know we will get our chances at the other end. In the four matches we have played under Aguirre, we have scored four goals. Defensively, we are feeling stronger with every game and increasingly understanding the coach's ideas. We all have to pull in the same direction.”

Physical condition – plantar fascia injury

“It has been a really difficult experience. Not so much because of the injury itself, but mentally, because there is no set recovery timeline; it all depends on the pain and discomfort. Little by little, we have managed to get the recovery and treatment on track, and so far, it hasn't been causing me any problems.

Missing one match didn't guarantee that I would be available for the next one. I spent a long time unable to put my foot down, using a rubber prosthetic to absorb the impact, which meant my boot barely fitted. I even tried injections... but these are things you do when the team needs you at that particular moment.

The Club has excellent professionals who have helped me get back as quickly as possible. I'm still playing with a modified boot, with one stud removed and two others filed down to prevent impact.”