Rioja: "There was great unity with the fans"

Luis Rioja talked to VCF Media after the 3-1 win over FC Barcelona that closed the season.

A bitter ending

“The most important thing was for us to do our job -and then look at other matches. We did our job. It was a hard-fought victory. We reacted well after receiving a tough setback. It's a shame that, since it wasn't in our own hands, we couldn't secure European qualification. Let's hope we can achieve it next season.”

The season

“We had looked at the standings for the second half of the season and we were fourth in that. The first half of the campaign is just as important as the second. There has to be a balance. We have to react earlier and show our fighting spirit from the start, so we don't have to wait until we're in danger to react. I hope that next year we'll find the balance to have a chance throughout the entire season.”

The atmosphere at Mestalla

“Every time I came to Mestalla as an away player, I enjoyed it and suffered, because when Mestalla is rocking, you think you can't come and win here. Now I've been enjoying it for two seasons. It's a shame to have to say goodbye to stadiums like Mestalla, and let's hope it's for something better: A new stadium, a new energy, that helps the club to continue growing."

Unity with the fans

"I'm ending the season with a good feeling,having beaten Barça and scored a goal, but you can't be truly happy. There’s mixed feelings. There's been a real connection between the team and the fans;we've all worked together. I'll try to focus on the positives. It's been a blow, because we believed we could achieve European qualification. The team gave their all, and we hope that next season starts with the same energy with which we finished this one."