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REACTIONS TO THE VICTORY IN LIGA

05 Apr 2011
The name of Valerón was in everybody’s mouth; even Laudrup admitted that the Canarian playmaker was the most decisive factor in the match. Lendoiro almost cried when he talked of his favourite player at the team.

Coach Miguel Ángel Lotina was unusually effusive after the game ended, so much that he was congratulating his players when they still over the pitch; later he explained that, "I wanted to embrace the players on the pitch, because it was a gesture from everybody, the fans and the team, not only for winning the game, but for the attitude."

Later, more calmed, the Basque man was analyzing the match, “We weren’t so bad in the first half, but the true is that the team was jammed when it had the ball possession. Their goal was an unlucky play for us, though it was pretty. The second half was more a game of ups and downs, and the team was fine, with a phenomenal Juan Carlos [Valerón].”

And Valerón was the man that received the best comments from Depor’s trainer, he was also explaining why El Flaco wasn’t a starter, “I know Valerón pretty well and know which matches suit to his game, and I also know that can’t ask him to work defensively because he got diluted. We must know hot to handle these kinds of situations. I won’t discover Valerón at this point of his career. I just must know how to handle all the situations. To put him to work defensively means to sink him.”

Finally, Lotina was commenting the current situation on the standings, “The picture still complicated. Today was the first final, but we still have to play a few more. We have seen some surprising results. Now Real Sociedad and Getafe are in the mess, teams that weren’t at the bottom throughout the year and that are now part of the problem.”

The players were unanimous to admit that Valerón was the fact that changed the game, Dani Aranzubia was the first one to emphasize the entry of the Canarian, “He is a vital player, someone really important, he just moves everybody else. The first half was pretty bad, but in the second we were better.”

Similar were the thoughts of Mexican winger Andrés Guardado, “It has been the best second half on this season. Valerón sees the things in a different way, and guides us to play on the pitch. When he is on we play in a different way. We won the first final and now we are going for the second. We have to face Malaga and must try to present the same attitude playing away from home.”

Diego Colotto, who again completed a solid match, also joined the compliments for the Canarian, and even was asking for more minutes to him, "I’m going to say something that I thing is very clear for us: on these moments Juan Carlos is very important, and the team changes with him. I think is the moment to have him, because he deserves it. He won’t say anything, so we have to say it: the team with him on the pitch, and feeling this pressure, is much better.”

Lassad was even comparing Valerón with Messi, “I must say that Valerón is a very important player; sometimes you watch those things on TV and it looks easy, but on the pitch it is difficult. There are only a few players like him, perhaps Messi. And to play alongside him just make things very easy.”

Meanwhile, striker Xisco was pretty happy for scoring his first goal after his comeback, “Any attacker must score goals, today it was like that and I am pretty happy. Right now I am one of the happiest persons in the world with this opportunity. About Valerón, it’s an honour to play alongside him; I gave him the thanks for the assist.”

“The team was hoping to change the result. At half-time we talked to carry away with this and turn on the score, and it happened. The fans were with us; it was exciting to get off of the bus and see them cheering us. The players thank that gesture, especially on these complicate moments. These three points are good for everyone.”

Juan Carlos Valerón, without doubt the best player in the game, didn’t want to talk of his performance; instead he was emphasizing the result, “The victory is the most important thing; I am a balanced guy and know that there are good and bad moments, but the 2-1 was the goal that I celebrated the most in my career.”

“In the first half we went out knowing of the importance of the meeting and waiting to see what was going to happen. But in the second all the players wanted to have the ball, and for that reason we found the cracks at their defense. This victory might help us to be stronger.” He added

One of the three Canarian players at the team, Aythami Artiles, was joining these praising comments when he commented the contribution of El Flaco, “This was a huge victory. How tranquil we are right now! We all know of what El Flaco is capable.”

Even president Augusto César Lendoiro was showing his feelings when he talked of Valerón, journalists reported that he almost cried when he said that, “A few months ago I was saying that we always would have Valerón, and now we can say that we will always have the [Riazor] Blues and Valerón… he is my right eye. The team tried to do its best, but perhaps they were too nervous in the first part, and then it turned to be one of the best second halves that we have seen in recent years. Valerón and the Blues mean a lot for us.”

At Mallorca, coach Michel Laudrup was also emphasizing that Valerón was the decisive factor in the game, “We know Valerón and his quality; both halves were like the night and the day; Depor didn’t have any chance in the first part, later we lost the ball at midfield and then we suffered the equalizer. The team left too many space between the lines, a factor that a player like Valerón can perfectly exploit. The key is that we were too much defensive, and it’s that we suffer a lot when we don’t have the ball possession.”

Pierre Webó was feeling guilty after been sent off, “It was a weird thing; we were discussing and I felt a push. After so many years at Primera, it isn’t normal to see me failing into this trap. I am the first and only guilty person of what has happened, especially for how the game was. I never punched him [Ruben Pérez], but it’s also true that I didn’t help to prevent the fight. I believe the red card is a little hard, the club will decide if they will appeal or not.”

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