Bon Nadal!!!

By: Cesar | December 24th, 2007

To all the readers and Valencianos out there, have a great holiday and keep on rootin’ for the BEST CLUB IN THE WORLD … (even though they irritate us at times!)

Bon Nadal i millor any nou or … Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year, although I’ll be back soon to write about transfers (Lucho again?), my memories of Cañizares and our gutty come back this Saturday …

I leave you with good cheer and an interview Levante-EMV did with Ronald Koeman a few days ago, translated into English. Thanks to Sarita from Che-UK, who translated this for the group. Enjoy!!

J=Journalist (Joan Carles Martí, Valencia, www.levante-emv.com)
K=Koeman

J: Why are you getting rid of Albelda?
K: Because he didn’t behave like a captain on or off the pitch.

J: You came to that conclusion quickly, considering the short time you’ve been
at Valencia.
K: I have see a major lack of discipline on and off the pitch since I’ve been
here. I don’t like it and I’ve decided that this is the right moment for it to
come to an end.

J:What lack of discipline?
K:They pay me to make decisions.

J: Is the dismissal of Cañizares also due to a lack of discipline?
K: That’s about wanting a younger goalkeeper.

J: And Angulo?
K: That’s the same thing, I want younger players and players committed to the
team, a new era.

J: No-one can understand how such a drastic decision can be taken against those
players, especially Albelda who is a very active captain, a national team player
and very committed to Valencia.
K: He’s still under contract with Valencia and the club should grant him a
triumphant exit (”por la puerta grande”).

J: Will you be making the same decision with other players from the team?
K: For now it’s only those three.

J: Villa’s agent has said that he wants to leave Valencia.
K: I don’t care what his agent says. What Villa should have done was speak to me.

J: Is so much upheaval good for a team whose spirits are so low?
K: It’s hard to tell, although everything depends on the results.

J: Will new players be coming in?
K: We’re working on that, although it’s not easy right now.

J: Was the team so bad that heads had to roll?
K: It was already going on before I came. From what I have seen this is not a
team. To be a team you must carry out your objectives, stand up for yourself, be respectable and very direct.

J: Are these non-footballing qualities enough?
K: It’s an important step. I’m convinced these decisions will lead to the team
recovering the tranquility that is needed to get back on the right track. The
press has been a very negative influence.

J: I didn’t know the press had such a poisonous influence on the team.
K: You know, as soon as I get to Paterna [Valencia's training ground], I have I don’t know how many journalists following me.

J: You must have been through something similar when you played for Barcelona.
K: No, here it’s so exaggerated. We need calm.

J: That’s precisely what is recommended to the young players who have moved up
to the the first team. Isn’t the competition a negative thing in the middle of
the present crisis?
K: The youngsters have been coming through bit by bit, mostly as a result of the many injuries we have had, including those to Villa, Baraja and Edu.

J: The game against Zaragoza is another test.
K: Yes, it’s complicated, even though morale is high after the win in Irún. You
just have to remember the way the team celebrated the goals.

J: Morale doesn’t win matches.
K: It’s impossible to change things in such a short space of time, although I
believe that the current set-up/strategy is a good one. However you have to have patience.

J: I think that patience is running out at Mestalla.
K: You should never lose patience, or faith/trust.