Valencia CF face Athletic Club at San Mamés on Sunday, with fullback Thierry Rendall in great form. The Portuguese talks to VCF MEDIA RADIO about the start of the season for the team.

The victory against Cádiz CF
“This victory will give us confidence for the coming games, but we know that we have to fight game-by-game and continue working this week, to prepare for the match against Athletic Club."

The match against Athletic Club
“They are a very competitive team. They have high quality players, but we know what we have to do: Fight in the game, run a lot and try to score goals.”

Team identity

“Competitiveness and being demanding is the identity that Baraja has transmitted to us, explaining that every game is going to be very difficult and that we have to compete until the end. Being young, there are times when we relax in the game and Baraja pushes us so that that doesn't happen, because if it does, we know we can lose the game. In fact, after the victory against Cádiz CF we entered the dressing room as if we had lost, because we weren't ourselves in the last minutes of the game; we relaxed. The coach spoke to us and told us that we had to be happy with the game, but that we had to improve those things.”

Mestalla and the fans
“Baraja tells us that at home we have to be much stronger than we were before, and winning at Mestalla gives us a lot of confidence. Our opponents are beginning to suss us out and, despite us being a very young side, we fight in every game until the end. We know that home games are very important, but so are away games and we have to fight to try to win them all. The fans already showed their importance last season and, despite the difficulties, Mestalla is always full and they are our twelfth man. At home we have to fight, play calmly and enjoy our football.”

Baraja
“He is a very serious, professional coach. You can tell that he takes care of all the details and works on them very well. He gives a lot of confidence to the players. He tells us that playing at Mestalla and with the Valencia CF shirt means a lot."

Defensive work

“Since he arrived, Baraja has worked a lot on the defensive side to make us strong there, because if we keep a clean sheet we will be closer to winning. When the opposition score against us in games, the next day we are already working to improve in that aspect.”

Finding form

“I feel good. Baraja gives me confidence and I am playing comfortably in every game. After the injury I have returned well; it's my job and, therefore, I always try to do my best to help the team and enjoy playing football. The team's style of play favours me, playing on the wings and pushing up front.”

His rabona assist for the goal against Cádiz CF

“I have seen it many times because of my friends showing it to me. It's everywhere. If the goalkeeper hadn't have touched the ball, then it was going in for sure. But people are talking about my rabona thanks to Hugo Duro scoring the goal. At that moment I didn't think about it, it was something that came naturally to me. I use it a lot, both in training and in games. Before arriving at Mestalla, Jesús Vázquez spoke to me and told me that I was going to score a goal. At Mestalla, a man stopped me and told me that too, but also, before leaving the house, my best friend told me that I was going to score with a rabona."

His great assists
“I'm working on it and I think I can improve as well. Baraja tells us that when we attack we should be well organised, but if we have space ahead of us to go upfield, we should do it. I have two assists so far and I want to give many more.”

The start to the season

“We are happy with our performance, but we are demanding and want to do much more. What happened last season cannot happen again and we in the dressing room know that. Since the beginning of this campaign we have been very focused on working hard and, despite being a young team, we are showing that we have quality and that we want to do something good this year.”

Young players in the squad
“The young players who are training with us and who helped us last season are doing very well and growing, and that is important for everyone.”