Aguirre Defends Valencia Following Mourinho’s Comments on Squad Strength
Valencia manager Javier Aguirre has come to the defense of his players after Real Madrid’s Jose Mourinho suggested that his team possesses a significantly stronger squad. This exchange transpired following Madrid’s 3-0 win at Mestalla, where Mourinho told Aguirre not to be disheartened, claiming his players were superior.
As Valencia prepares for their upcoming Copa del Rey match against Tavernes de la Valldigna, Aguirre downplayed Mourinho’s remarks. He expressed confidence in his squad and stated that the comments did not resonate negatively within the Valencia dressing room.
Aguirre elaborated on his conversation with Mourinho, interpreting it as a straightforward commentary on the match rather than a personal affront. “He didn’t say ‘much better’. He told me to stay calm because his players were better. I listened to him – he’s my friend – I congratulated him and went back to the dressing room,” Aguirre said.
The Valencia manager reaffirmed his belief in the capabilities of his players, noting, “I think I have some very good players; otherwise, I wouldn’t be here.” He insisted that there had been no fallout from Mourinho’s statement among his team members.
“We haven’t discussed it. There was no reaction in the dressing room. They’re football people; they took it as a footballing remark, they took it as something not personal. Nobody came to say anything to me; I would have considered organising a team-building exercise. Some of them probably didn’t even notice. The team is doing well,” he added.
Aguirre was also asked about a reported confrontation in the Mestalla tunnel during half-time involving sporting director Braulio Vazquez. Although the referee’s report highlighted complaints from Vazquez, it made no mention of any Real Madrid players being implicated. Aguirre confirmed that he spoke with Vazquez, who expressed his disagreement but disclosed no further concerns.
“I spoke to Braulio. I was inside. He told me he’d voiced his disagreement and that was reflected in the report. He didn’t say anything else to me,” Aguirre stated. He also noted that such incidents are not unusual in the heat of the moment, emphasizing that nothing serious occurred during that time.
Additionally, Aguirre addressed the controversy regarding Real Madrid’s opening goal, which stemmed from a challenge by Valencia’s Pablo Maffeo on Kylian Mbappe. He critiqued the referee’s decision to call a foul and questioned the lack of a red card for the foul.
“That’s what I saw from my vantage point. I don’t think it’s a foul. And if it is a foul, why didn’t they give him a red card? The fourth official told me he didn’t have control of the ball, and I think he’s right – he didn’t,” Aguirre remarked.
Despite voicing his concerns, Aguirre maintained that he would not make excuses for his team’s defeat, acknowledging that Real Madrid outperformed Valencia that day. “They were the better side. Neither luck nor the referee can make a team better. They were better than us and they beat us,” he concluded.
