Ilaix Moriba spoke to VCF Media two days ahead of the important game against Athletic Club. The player also talked about his new teammates and the Valencia CF fans. 

Adapting to the club

I'm very happy to be here. I've seen the support from the fans and how they spur the team on. It's not something that you see every day. It gives us more of a boost to go for it.

I always have the mentality that I want to play. I want to give my all. I accept whatever the coach decides, and helping the team is the most important thing.

The semifinal

It's a battle. We have to go to Bilbao with cool heads and fully focused on the game. We've seen that they are a team who have knocked out Barcelona and Real Madrid. However, we have the same desire as them, and you never know what might happen in a game.

When I saw that we were drawn against Athletic Club, I thought "wow, that's a tough team." When I saw that the second leg would be at home, I was more confident. It's an evenly matched tie, and we have to go to Bilbao with the mentality of going at them. We can't hold back. At Mestalla, we all know that we can't stop running and have to get after the opposition -whoever they are. We have to peg them back.

Praise for the fans

The fans have great passion for the club. It's very important that the fans and the players are united and going for the same objective. I loved the atmosphere at the stadium. Every time I or my teammates play there, we can't let the fans down. They are behind us and that is the mentality to have.

The importance of the Copa del Rey

The Copa del Rey is the quickest way of getting into the European spots. It's a trophy for the fans, who deserve it just like we do. We are just as excited as the fans. We want to bring the cup back to Valencia for them to enjoy.