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Mexican coach Javier Aguirre stated during his presentation as the new Valencia coach that his “immediate plan” at the Mestalla club is “to win,” and avoided sending messages to a fan base “tired of messages” after several seasons in which the team has fought to avoid relegation.
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“I can never say no to Valencia. It is a historic club in the League, in world football, it has brutal fans; I have come here as an opponent and you get ‘scared,’ as you say. I want it to be an imposing stadium for the rival, and I want the team to return to the positions it deserves,” he expressed this Monday in the Mestalla press room, where he appeared grateful and proud of the opportunity.
Aguirre shared that he had passed up as many as four job opportunities because he was “enjoying” time with his wife, Silvia, and his grandchildren, but when he received the call from Valencia, he told Silvia: ‘I’m sorry, but we have to go there.’ “We are coming here happy. Silvia even more so, because she loves football,” he assured.
“It gives me great pleasure to be received with the same joy with which I arrive. For now, there is a positive atmosphere, but this is about results, not about being liked or disliked, and we hope to deliver them as soon as possible. I am assessing the team and its needs, seeing that there are 6-7 injured players and they must be recovered mentally; at the moment, I wouldn’t dare say anything because I haven't fully diagnosed the team's needs,” he explained.
The Mexican coach’s contract is for one season plus an optional one, regarding which he explained that he is “a man who takes things step by step.” “I’m bad at imagining things. I am focused on El Sardinero. Then, if things work out, look how good that would be. Whatever the contract says... Well, if we are all comfortable, we will continue,” he stated.
The immediate plan is to win
“People are tired of messages. No messages. We are going to play against Racing de Santander, and the best message the people can receive is a victory. I will try to give them a win as soon as possible. I could look very good with words, but that is not my intention. Of course, I know where I am coming to, the ownership, what is happening. I don’t want to be repetitive, but the immediate plan is to win. I have to dedicate myself to bringing them joy as soon as possible,” he affirmed.
Regarding the team, Aguirre analyzed that “it has a lot of individual talent, a great youth academy, a lot of quality, and the only thing that needs to be done is to convince them, for them to believe they are important and play as such.”
“With this club’s history, you shouldn't afford the luxury of wandering around the pitch and losing certain games you shouldn't lose,” Aguirre reflected, adding regarding the identity of his teams that he does not understand football without “dedication, sacrifice, willpower, and love for the jersey.”
“My teams can be whatever, but they are characterized by a lot of energy. Beating my teams should cost you blood, sweat, and tears. I was quite clumsy as a footballer, but I left every last drop of sweat on the pitch. Effort is non-negotiable, as they say now,” he added.
The youth academy
Additionally, Aguirre mentioned that he congratulated coach Óscar Sánchez for his boldness during his interim period over the last two matchdays. “The breakthrough of Mayol was important, Otorbi was important, Córdoba also played... I am training with them, I don't look at age, or if they have experience or not, if the player is worth it,” he assured.
Thus, Aguirre will face his sixth stint in Spain after managing Osasuna, Atlético de Madrid, Zaragoza, Espanyol, Leganés, and Mallorca, with the hope of doing better: “There is always the permanent hope that you can do it better. When I spoke with Braulio, I thought I was very lucky that Valencia noticed me. It is always better to be working than not to be, and I think the best is yet to come.”
Alongside Aguirre was sporting director Braulio Vázquez, who, before the press conference began, explained about the coach that, beyond his experience, what he liked most was that, seven minutes into the conversation, he was already interrupting to say he was coming to Valencia.
“We didn’t talk about money at all, and sport-wise, only about when I was catching the flight. His ability is already proven by his experience. I want to thank him and his coaching staff for their commitment to come to our house in a difficult moment,” he concluded.
[Publicidad]