Bordalás: “Moments like this are experienced very rarely and you have to enjoy them”

Valencia CF’s head coach, José Bordalás spoke in the pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday’s Copa del Rey final at the Estadio de La Cartuja at 10 pm kick-off time.  

How are the players doing after a bad run in the league? 

It is a very important moment for any professional, both for me and for the players. We professionals work to have experiences like this and to face situations like the Copa del Rey final. The team are motivated, and eager for the game to come, and it's finally here. There are raised expectations because it is a beautiful final.

To what extent has Gabriel Paulista recovered? Does this affect the defensive line? 

It's okay. The feeling is very good. Yesterday he did things with the group and is feeling really good. In the pre-match training session, he will be with the team and we have reason to be optimistic. I think he will be in the starting XI tomorrow. He is a very important player and he will almost certainly be in there.

It's your first final. Are you thinking about what it has taken to get to a day like this? 

In these kinds of situations, you are a different person. I’m thinking more about others than myself. I think of the fans, of Valencia CF, of the players, of their relatives, of the people who are suffering. I especially think about the fans. I am very responsible with the fans of Valencia CF, because I have been surprised by the enthusiasm that they have, the response to get behind the team and how they are travelling to this final. We have a unique opportunity and they are very excited. 

What did you feel this morning during the farewell at Manises? There is talk of the Bordalás model. What is the key to winning the final? 

It makes me laugh. Without the game having even started, there is already talk of things that are not true. I suppose that is with the aim of trying to hinder us. I find it disrespectful. I have never done that. Once again, disrespect is given to a great fanbase and to an entity with more than a hundred years of history. If you inform yourself a little, Valencia CF are the team that receive the most fouls in LaLiga. If they accuse us of interrupting play, I suppose it will be the other way around. 

How do you mentally prepare for a final? 

The players are not nervous. We are the youngest team in LaLiga, but the players look responsible and calm. You don't need a boost for this one, because everyone has been waiting for this final for weeks. The team's response will be good. A final is always tough, and even more so against opponents like Betis, who are a great team, who are having a great season, who have an incredible squad and magnificent fans. We might think that they are the favourites, but this is a final and my team are calm. We are optimistic about tomorrow's game. 

What message would you send to the fans before a game like this? 

There is little that we can ask of our fans. I thank them on behalf of the club, the coaching staff and the players because the response has been incredible. They have an excitement that we are seeing from them. The farewell at the airport this morning was a surprise. Hopefully, we can give them what they want most, and what we all want.

Betis are the favourites, but this is a reset as it is a single game, right? 

There will be games that are more fun than others, but LaLiga is one of the most competitive leagues. It has grown and has evened out a lot. Over a single game, anything can happen. We always have the utmost respect for the opposition; in front of us we have a great side who are having a great season. 

Is Seville a good luck charm for Valencia CF?

Hopefully. I am a person who does not usually focus on what has come before, but on what is most immediate -which is the final. Valencia CF have had very nice moments, and this is another moment, with different squads, and we trust that tomorrow we will see a nice show, with two teams that want to win the trophy. We are sure to enjoy the match that we are all expecting. 

Gayà told us a few days ago that his message to the dressing room was for the players to enjoy themselves. What will yours be?

I don't usually comment on what I'm about to say. I send them messages every day. I agree with Gayà on that. Moments like this are experienced very rarely and you have to enjoy them. Tomorrow is one of those moments that we know happen very rarely. 

You have been critical of refereeing decisions. What do you expect tomorrow? What will be the key to the final? 

I have not been critical of the refereeing but of VAR. As for the key, if I knew it we would have an advantage. We coaches have to prepare as well as possible for a game of this level to try to make our team win. We have had less time to prepare than is usual when facing a final. We are no longer thinking about what has gone before, but rather about tomorrow's game. 

What kind of game do you see it being tomorrow? 

I see there is an incredible atmosphere. We have played matches, as fans we have watched thousands of matches. If we knew the script it would be better... but football never ceases to amaze us. I'm sure it will be a nice game. 

Does it seem good to you that Betis are considered favouriteS? How does someone prepare for their first final? 

It seems ok to me. I have been told this in recent weeks, but I don't think about it. I think about my team and what we have to do to have a great game. It is my first Copa del Rey final, but I have experienced finals; for example, the playoffs to get promoted to the Primera División. I already have some experience in games like this. It's different, it's another competition, but I'm calm and I'm happy, which is the important thing. 

The ‘Bronco y Copero’ motto was used in your presentation announcement. Did you imagine at that moment that you would be the coach who could lift the ninth Copa del Rey? 

As a professional you try to take the team as high up as possible. I would have liked us to be higher up in LaLiga. In the cup we have managed to get to the final. You always aspire to achieve ambitious goals. Valencia CF are an historic club, with great fans, and we are going to enjoy the final. I have always aspired for my team to be as high up as possible.

You have spoken of disrespectful statements. Do they have any purpose? You have had important games with Getafe, but have you dreamt about what it might be like to lift the cup? 

I am not going to insist on the first question, because those are statements that I do not know the objective of. We all have dreams as human beings and you work to achieve important things. Winning a cup would be very important and would make a lot of people happy. These are working class people, whose life is Valencia CF, and they deserve a boost from us, because they are people who give everything for their team. I have seen this from the first day that I arrived, and my dreams are directed at doing it for them and not me. 

How is Thierry looking for tomorrow? If you could remove a player from Betis’s squad, who would he be? 

Thierry is fine. He has played several games in a row after the injury and I subbed him off to rest him, but he is fine. Betis have great players and I couldn't name a player to miss out. My wish is for the best to be here, because all players want to be here. In order to enjoy a game like this, the best have to be here. 

Pellegrini said that he didn't know how many kicks you were going to give his team. Does that serve to motivate the team? 

I don't usually talk about it. You have already heard the statements and I have nothing more to say. I focus on my team and not on what the opposition say.