Lino: ”We have to take Valencia CF to the top"

It was important for us to get off to a positive start. The team had a really good performance, I think that we're going to improve throughout the season and we're going to be a great team.

We had a really strong start to the first half, which is what the coach always asks of us. The second half saw Eray's sending-off, but we maintained a strong focus and defended well to take the win.

Valencia CF are coming off the back of a good preseason. We had a good start to the season, but we can't stop now. We have to keep working in order to be a great team and have a good season, and keep winning -because that is what matters.

Athletic Club are a great team and a great club and we'll play at a great stadium, but we are Valencia CF and we are a great side too.

It's going to be a good game between two great clubs and we're going there to have a good performance to come away with the win and continue taking Valencia CF to the top.

These first few weeks have been really good. Everybody on the team and in Valencia has given me a great welcome, everybody has been nice to me and I feel really comfortable here, which shows in training and in the games because I always put hard work first. I work a lot, I put myself through it so it becomes second nature.

I'm not afraid of joining a big team. I'm Samuel Lino and this is who I am. I've been playing as though I was here for years, but I've been here for a short time and I want to grow much more at Valencia CF.

Gattuso is a very demonstrative and talkative person, but he is always there to help the players improve. He is always pushing us to be aggressive and tough. He takes the training sessions as though it was the last one of our lives.

You have to give it your all in training because he is going to demand that -and more- from you during games. You need to have a strong mentality on the pitch and many more things.

The things we are learning from someone like Gattuso, who is a big name in football, are things that we can take on board for life.

The small things you learn with these kinds of people are the things that you can take with you for life. There are many lessons learned, many good things.    

 

I'd also like to thank the fans for supporting us against Girona FC. It was spectacular. It's the first time I've seen a set of supporters like this. It made me really happy, so thanks to everybody. They were chanting and pushing us on throughout the whole game which is really motivating. I hope that they are always like that.

I went for a walk, went to the beach, went to a restaurant to have a really nice paella, and then to the City of Arts and Sciences and L'Oceanografic.  I'm looking forward to finding out more about the city because Valencia has so many good things: Hot weather... Valencia is a top place to live.