Baraja: “For me, coaching Valencia CF is my lifelong dream”

Rubén Baraja is now in his new role as a coach of Valencia CF. The former player and club legend showed his conviction that with hard work, determination, character and personality, the coaching staff and the players will be able to overcome the current difficult situation in the LaLiga standings.

Grateful to Rafa Benítez

If there is one thing Rafa Benítez has for the Valencianistas, it is this fantastic memory of a golden era in which I was lucky enough to be one of the central figures and to experience it first-hand, and for Rafa to give me this message of encouragement and confidence is a great joy because he has always been a great role model for all of us who want to get into coaching. I am grateful and, as he says, I will try to make the right decisions and achieve the objective we have set ourselves for this term of the season.

 Emotions

There were two moments in this situation. The first moment in which the club contacted me to assess my thoughts on the situation and see whether I was willing to face the moment that the club are in. That happened a few days ago. The second moment was when they called me to say that I had the job as coach of Valencia CF. They were two very emotional and exciting moments.

In the end, I would describe it with one sentence: "For me, coaching Valencia is my lifelong dream." That's why I'm a coach. The biggest milestone that I had in mind when I started was to be able to coach Valencia CF someday. Imagine what it’s like when the club calls you to turn a difficult situation around. Coming home is a great honour, despite the situation in which I return.

The makeup of the coaching staff

"When the club contacted me to see my requests or to find out what I want to face the challenge. I only asked that Marchena be with me. That was for many reasons. He is a Valencianista and his curriculum speaks for itself in terms of his professionalism and what we have experienced together as teammates at Valencia CF and with the national team. I need people who show character in the moment we are going to experience. I will try to make the most of the people of the club, who are great professionals who can help us. I am not one to make big changes at a structural level. The club gave me free reign and confirmed that Carlos is coming with me as part of the coaching staff.

The fanbase

It is what it is. It is a situation that has been generated. As Valencia CF coach, I would like the fans to be behind the team. We have to make our fans feel like part of the team, and that we need them. I am a Valencianista, even though I’m the coach.

I’m one of them. I have come with my season ticket to watch the team and its transformation during this time. I have enjoyed the good times, like the Copa del Rey win in Seville. I would like the players to feel what I felt as a player. It's something unique. I stopped playing for Valencia CF when I had the chance to continue playing, but I felt that it was time to leave at a good time.

I would like for the fans to understand and to support Valencia CF. Logically I cannot convince everyone of anything. I want to take the risk with the Mestalla that I know behind us. That Mestalla encourages you, pushes you on and helps you to win games. In 2008 the fans carried us to salvation.

Message to the players

There are two very clear messages. We have to accept the reality we are in. I have to send them a message of reality. On the other hand, they need a message of confidence.

They have to feel that with our day-to-day work we are going to improve. The team are going to show that we are in a situation that we don’t deserve to be in. For that we need to work, persist, make them believe in an idea and create an identity based on what we want as a team.

Appointment

When I had the meeting with Corona he first asks me if I want to get in charge of the team, then if I think the situation can be improved and thirdly if I am convinced that I am the person. And we don't talk about anything else. What I wanted him to feel was that I was the right person to turn the situation around.

I am not suspicious of anything in my career and even less so with Valencia CF. I don't want to mortgage the club at all. I come here to help for as long as I am here and consider the club.

This is my moment and I'm going to try to make the most of it, but my thoughts are of Valencia CF of the present, of tomorrow, of Monday, of winning games, getting points and the players giving their best. I'm not thinking about March, April, or June. I don't want to mortgage the club with what might happen in the future. I wanted to coach Valencia CF and that's how it happened.  

You want to face this situation because you have feelings and a heart. I have lived half my life in Valencia. My children and my friends are Valencian.

The only situation that motivates me is that I think Valencia CF needs a person who has my profile, to calm and calm down the players, and give them confidence... because with anxious nerves and haste, we are not going to improve the team. We need results, and that will lead us to improve our performe, and above all calmness.

Solutions

The team have got into a negative dynamic, and that is sometimes an uncontrollable downward spiral. If you review the last game, the team did things well but the dynamic made things go against them.

First, we have to change the dynamics. The team did things the other day that weren’t converted into points. We will seek balance. We must be able to interpret the game. We have to know how to defend well, be organised, press and hit on the counter. We have to manage games and manage possession. We have to be a complete team. We have to work on this in every way.

For me it is important to convey a demanding message to the players. The players have to understand that here there are some non-negotiable premises which are work, commitment and attitude.

We want to be a complete, compact team, with hunger and attitude. They also have to help to achieve all this as soon as possible.

Future

This isn’t something I’m looking at now. I don't know what will happen in four months. I have come here with enthusiasm, with hunger and with the desire to take advantage of my opportunity. I'm going to focus on what's important.

I want to convince the players of what I want to contribute, and improve our situation in the table. The priority right now is the team.

There are a lot of things to possibly fix, but they are out of my control. I focus on what's important, on the team competing, having an identity and earning points.

Fear

For me, being here is a privilege. Afraid of what? I’ve been given the chance to train my club. I'm at home, I have the fans and I have chance to coach in LaLiga. You always have to look at the positives. I was discussing it with Carlos (Marchena) this morning. I want to enjoy the experience and the moment. I don't want to limit myself. Anyone who panics becomes paralysed. I want to add character and contribute.

Formation

The need to play 4-4-2 is not really a fundamental assessment. In my career it has been a hallmark, and I believe in that formation, but I am open to other systems. It will depend on what the team need. We want the team to be competitive and the formation doesn’t matter. That's what I’m obsessesed with and what I'm going to work on, on a day-to-day basis.

The squad

This morning I went to Paterna. I hadn't been there for a long time. I was at the club before as Juvenil A coach. The change is amazing. The club have very modern facilities. We have all the technology at our disposal.

I have been able to see several players. They want to push hard and logically changes have happened. What they need is for me, as the leader of the team and the dressing room, to really explain to them what I believe in and what I want to do.

We need to work hard on a daily basis. After that, getting results will endorse our work. I see good harmony. Yesterday I spoke with the three captains and they transmitted a positive message. The players have to feel how important it is to play for Valencia CF and that Valencia CF are a very big club.

Future

I haven't really considered it. The only thing I felt was that the opportunity to be the coach of Valencia CF had finally arrived. I haven't considered anything else. I have always focused on being able to send a powerful message about what we need at this time.

 I can't ask the fans for anything. We have to give them hard work, attitude, and everything they need. We want their encouragement. Our players have to feel this. Anything else is secondary for me.

I want to change this dynamic and I feel prepared to do so. I have a history of coaching various Segunda División teams, which makes me calm about this challenge. Most of the situations I have experienced have been similar, and I’ve almost never started from scratch. I feel confident and prepared... but logically I am not thinking beyond tomorrow.

Legend

That risk is there. For me to come here is a brave move, and I accept that. I would have liked the situation to have been different. It is not something that will take away my energy. We are going to give 120%.

When you give everything, things can go well or badly, but this is something that must be faced with great responsibility. This must be faced with character. We want to achieve our goals.

Have you talked to Peter Lim?

No. I haven't had the opportunity to, but it's something that doesn't worry me something that I’m obsessed about. I'm focused on what's important.

Homecoming

Great emotion, because you meet a lot of people who have worked at the club again, and who have seen your playing career.

There are good workers who contribute and continue at the club. They remember you with love and respect for everything you’ve achieved it. It's been nice. I'm coming home. From the kitman, to the physio, the person who opens the door for us every day.

They are people who have seen me during my time as players, people we know and who will contribute. There are many emotions that I have experienced from the moment I woke up.

One thing is what happened yesterday, all the calls and everything when the news breaks. Another thing is waking up today with the feeling of getting up as Valencia CF coach. It's been special.

Opimistic atmosphere

I believe it after my analysis, from what I have been able to see and from seeing the team's progress. I believe that Valencia CF must be strong enough to get out of this situation. There are certain things that I cannot know first-hand because I am only just arriving, but from my information there is a group that wants to believe and grow. It is a young group, which is something that motivates me a lot.

The young players have the mentality of growing. In my career, if something has stood out, it has always been to field youngsters, even when starting out in Juvenil football. Some of the players who are in the first team were with me in the Juvenil team. If you do a good job and believe in them, they can reach the elite. I believe in the possibilities for improvement and the growth of this team.

I also believe in our work as coaching staff. We will try to give them the tools so that they can be competitive and win games. The situation is difficult, we can’t deny that. But we hope to find the way with hard work, effort and humility.

Inexperince 

I don't have that feeling, I'm enjoying the moment and the great responsibility that this entails. I'm going to debut in the division, like many others. This doesn't worry me. I have to focus on preparing well for the next match. I will use these days to try to find the way to get close to winning and getting points.

Experience is gained with situations. When I arrived at Valencia CF as a player I was the third choice. In the end the club helped me. They chose me and I was lucky to play here for ten years. The important thing is to have the chance to be here. I believe a lot in myself, in my work. This situation can be changed.