Corberán: “The team showed great fighting spirit”

Valencia CF coach Carlos Corberán reacted to the 0-1 win over Getafe CF on LaLiga Matchday 20.  

Gayà's goal

I place immense value on it. It's a perfect example of Valencia CF spirit. He's a player who is passionate, who suffers in every aspect when things go badly, and rejoices in all the good times. The important thing was that he scored the goal and we took the three points. It was a brilliant moment, and an unusual finish for a fullback; it was a joy to watch.

Tárrega's injury

An edema causes discomfort until the body absorbs it. It's not a serious injury that will get worse, but he's been playing in pain since the cup game in Gijón. Today the injury was to his other knee; we'll see how it affects him.

The need to sign a defender

Unfortunately, in recent weeks we've lost Julen, Diakhaby, Thierry, and Cömert… Eray travelled with us, but he wasn't on the bench. We only had Panach available. We decided to play Pepelu at the back; he played with tremendous character in a position that isn't his, and for him to step up in a difficult moment is something of which to be very proud.

His view of the game

It wasn't a matter of relief, but of necessity. We needed to win. That was as strong as our desire to win and achieve a positive result. In some games, we've been very close to getting more than just a point. This victory reinforces the way the team have been working. It wasn't a brilliant game, but there was a lot of fighting spirit shown against opponents desperate for a win, and all of this makes me greatly appreciate the team's character.

Injuries

Cömert's injury wasn't to his hamstring, but to his hip. This means that his hamstring tendon isn't receiving adequate blood flow, so he needs a different recovery plan. He was having difficulties, which is why he was not in the squad. Diakhaby, Thierry, and Julen have all had hamstring injuries. We don't like to suffer injuries. There are two types of injuries: those suffered in games and those picked up in training. Luckily, we've only had Ramazani's injury in training recently. Raba has been suffering from Achilles tendon discomfort since the game in Gijón against Sporting.

The team’s character

The game was difficult, with a somewhat slippery pitch to contend with, but I liked the team's character and fighting spirit. We had chances, and in the end, a quick attack allowed us to break the deadlock.

Signing a centre back

Needs don't always align with the timeline of the transfer window, but having lost Diakhaby and Tárrega, we have to resolve this situation urgently. I'm not involved in this, nor am I the one negotiating. I hope the work the club are doing allows us to finalise the signing as soon as possible.

Turning the situation around

We have to focus on what the team are doing well. We've deserved more points than those we have at the moment. We must continue to earn points to improve our position; that's our responsibility. I value the victory more than who it came against, and I value the character the team showed, how they managed to overcome the loss of a centre back. We continued fighting, and I’m convinced that this squad is more than capable of getting more points.