CORBERÁN: “WE HAVE TO KEEP FIGHTING A LOT” 

Valencia CF coach Carlos Corberán, spoke in a press conference after his side’s 1-0 win against Sevilla FC on LaLiga Matchday 31.

SATISFACTION

“I think that with the numbers and the games the team have won, the objective hasn't yet been achieved. That speaks to the great effort this squad is making, that they have had to make, and will continue to make, to achieve what we all want. If with those numbers the objective hasn't yet been achieved, imagine the situation they've experienced and the reaction they've had. I'm pleased to see that the work, commitment, and intensity they put into it is yielding results.”

FOULQUIER

“Foulquier's role is extremely important because he's playing every game. He's played as a wing-back in a line of five, as a full-back in a line of four, and also as a centre back in a line of five. He's a player with a tremendous level of commitment to the club, and I'm happy to have him in my squad. As for future plans, I don't feel like it's the right time to talk about them yet. But I have to appreciate that his performance has been extraordinary.”

STEP BY STEP

“When you suffer a lot, you really appreciate what you've achieved and what we still have to do to continue achieving. I'm a coach who always takes things one game at a time. Right now, it's time for the players to enjoy today's victory, and so should the fans. We're aware of how much the fans have suffered, and they deserve to identify with our performance and see a team giving everything they have to win matches. And starting with the next training session, it'll be time to think about the next match. We haven't achieved our objective yet, and we have to keep fighting hard.”

THE SUPPORT OF MESTALLA

“I work every day, giving my best to give the fans the best, which I believe is what they deserve. Our goal is for the fans to feel proud of what they see from the team and for us to give them as many wins as possible, since the purpose of my job is to make them proud. Then, as for the way to express it, I accept all forms of doing that and focus on continuing to give my best. It fills me with joy that the more than 46,000 people in the stadium are leaving here happy. But not just the fans in the stadium, which is crazy, but also everyone behind it. For those people to go to bed today identifying with the team, happy and joyful, for me that's the best thing.”

THE ATMOSPHERE

“It's impossible not to be moved by Mestalla. It's a privilege to see how people give their all for every ball, and in life, all privileges come with sacrifices, and ours is to continue giving our all to continue creating many of those moments that are thrilling for the coaching staff, the players, and the fans in general who want the best for Valencia CF.”

THE ATMOSPHERE

“It's impossible not to be moved by Mestalla. It's a privilege to see how people give their all for every ball, and in life, all privileges come with sacrifices, and ours is to continue giving our all to continue creating many of those moments that are thrilling for the coaching staff, the players, and the fans in general who want the best for Valencia CF.”

CONTROVERSIAL INCIDENTS

“The information I have is that the VAR reviews every decision or non-decision by the referee and is responsible for ensuring fairness in the decisions made, which are so difficult for referees. Live, in the game, with the pace of the game, it's difficult to get it right every time. In the end, VAR deemed those decisions to be the right ones. Whenever there's fairness, I feel happy.”

CONSTANT IMPROVEMENT

“You can't be above or below your objective when you don't have expectations. My only desire and goal is for the team to improve and compete in every game. And improvement doesn't end there, because that desire is insatiable. The desire to continue competing knows no bounds. I remember that at the end of that game last time we played Sevilla, the team were last in the standings, and that speaks volumes about the tremendous effort, sacrifice, and commitment the players have shown to turn things around in this way and to take steps toward our goal.”

GROWTH FROM THE TEAM

“Yesterday I said we were going to have the toughest game we've played in during this run, and I don't think that statement was trivial; it was completely true, and that was evident in today's match. Sevilla FC's pressure in the first 20 minutes overwhelmed our ability to overcome it. For me, Sevilla FC dominated the game in those first few minutes, and as we approached halftime, we were able to find ways to overcome that pressure. We had to adjust our formation and positioning a bit to find some advantage that would allow us to overcome pressure and take the game into the opposition half. From the 25th minute onward, the team grew, and the goal reaffirmed our progressive growth. In the second half, we had been able to talk about what was happening and adjust it. For me, in the second half, the team were the better side; we created chances and were closer to scoring our second than to conceding.”

SPECIAL MOMENTS

“I'm never going to ask the fans for anything. I'm grateful for everything they give us. The fans made us experience a special match here at Mestalla, and some exciting moments. They also made us experience that moment of leaving the hotel, which was a very emotional moment that, as a player and as coaching staff, increases our pride and sense of belonging because we have a huge fan base that helps and supports the team.”

HIS PLAN FOR THE WEEKEND

“I don't have the answer yet. The first thing is to rest, because preparing for a match like the one against Sevilla FC is very demanding for me, and it's time to take a break. And starting tomorrow, we'll have to see where the objective is, which match we want to watch. In general, rather than watching matches live, I like to watch them calmly, being able to analyse, cut, and edit them -because that's where you analyse in detail and can move ahead with your work by watching them with such care. First we’ll rest, and then do more work.”

FOCUSING ON THE NEXT GAME

“I don't think it's good to talk about Europe because I think it detracts from all the effort the team are putting in. I think it's good to identify with the work done by this squad, to continue competing in every game. That's being sincere and honest about the situation we've experienced. Right now isn't the time to set new goals that distort the situation. It's time to keep working, keep supporting, create a way of playing to continue giving the fans good moments, and not talk about anything other than that. Besides, it's a fact that we still have points left to achieve our goal. I'm never going to look at anything other than the next game.”

UNITY

“The players were able to experience that moment and share the emotion they felt with the fans, seeing their efforts rewarded. These are moments that should happen between the team and the fans. Some feel identified with the team, and the players feel proud of giving the fans the reward, which is what we work for.”

ADAPTABILITY

“It wasn't too difficult for me to switch off. The game at the Bernabéu was important and gave us three points that allow us to continue getting closer to our goal. As that game ended, I viewed it as part of the past, another experience we have that should help us continue to grow. I experienced it with great joy because the fans deserved it. I knew how difficult playing Sevilla would be, how difficult they were going to make things for us, and we tried every day to prepare the team to overcome the situations we experienced today. It was difficult, but the team became more comfortable, and one of the possibilities we used was the 4-4-2 formation. We adjusted it, and in the 30th minute of the first half, André Almeida became the team's No.11, and Diego switched to a second striker with Sadiq to defend with two forwards and have Diego in the hole. Then, with the substitution of Rafa Mir and Hugo Duro, we maintained it, keeping Rafa behind Hugo.”

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