Celades: "We're all very happy to be back here again"

Like his players, Valencia CF coach Albert Celades had been looking forward to the squad’s return to training this past weekend. He oversaw individual sessions for each participant at the Ciudad Deportiva, from a distance, and spoke to VCF Media on Sunday to give his reflections on the extraordinary circumstances of the past two months and beyond.

“I had a great desire to be back here and to get back out on the pitch, which is what we like. It's a question of adapting to this new situation,” said Celades, who has been in touch with the players through modern technology but was pleased to see them in person.

“We've been able to get back to training, see each other's faces again in person -not just virtually. We're happy to be back.”

“We knew that this moment was going to come, and we didn't want this time in confinement to hinder us. We're using this time to work, and also it's a time for reflection and for valuing many things in a situation like this. We're all very happy to be back here again.”

Individual training is not ideal for a team sport, but at the moment Celades and his squad are grateful for any preparation they can do within the guidelines laid out by the authorities.

“In this phase we can only train individually. We're working on fitness, skills and tactics in this way, as at the moment it's what the protocol dictates,” commented the coach. “We can't think that we're limited in what we can do. We have to adapt to this new situation and make the most of our time.”

“Many players live in apartments. Not all of them are in houses with gardens, where they can go out and run. The lockdown has made it more difficult for them to train. They've been very keen to come back here, to be able to work and to run. Besides the work on fitness, there's a psychological side that's important. We've tried to keep that up during the lockdown. When you come out of a situation like this, even if it's just individual work, it makes you happy.”

As for a return to LaLiga action, rumoured to be planned for June, Celades is preparing for a different atmosphere and feel.

"It's up to the authorities, but it's very pleasing for us to be able to get back to doing what we like. It's another reflection of the fact that society is getting back to a certain normality. It would be behind closed doors, but if we can help all of those people who want to watch football, then we'll be doing our bit.

“Regardless of the situation that we're going to experience, without fans at the stadiums, we've always felt very close to our fans; our unbeaten home record shows that. I have no doubt that it's thanks to our fans. We always feel they are close to us, and I'm sure that will be the same even when they aren't in the stadium in this new situation. We'll try to put the club in the best position possible."

With just under a third of the season still to be played, hitting the ground running is important for a packed calendar.

“Our objective is to be in the best shape possible for the first game back. There are eleven games to go, which is a lot, but that needs to be our objective. It's been tough physically and mentally during this time, and we need to regain energy. The idea is to feel as good as possible for that first game.”

“In these eleven games, there will be very little time between matches. We need to be prepared. We need to be ready for what we're going to face. It's going to very demanding physically. We undoubtedly need everybody's collaboration and hard work.”