Celades: "The game was completely affected by the sending off"

Valencia CF coach Albert Celades felt that the sending off of Rodrigo was a decisive factor in his side's 3-1 defeat to Osasuna at El Sadar. He spoke to the media after the game to give his opinions of the Matchday 10 contest.

"I think that it was a game completely affected by the sending off. I think that up unitl then we knew that Osasuna were going to press well, and that they hadn't lost here in a long time, and that we were going to experience difficulties, but we started well," he said after the final whistle.

"We had chances to do them damage in several situations. I think that up until the sending off -even though we were receiving a lot of crosses and shots- we were able to get to the opposition box with certain ease. After the sending off, everything became much more difficult."

Asked about the changes made to adapt to going down to 10 men, Celades explained that "We tried to modify things, and ended up with two strikers in inside positions, but the injury to Kevin Gameiro occurred after that. We tried to change things, but they pressed well and what Osasuna did after the sending off deserves a lot of credit, but in the last three games we've gone a man down. It was not the determining factor, but very important to how the three games turned out. Today, without a doubt, it was."

Curiously, the decision to send Rodrigo off was made immediately by the referee, whilst on other occasions the VAR has been consulted. The Valencia CF coach told journalists that they are still learning the procedure for such incidents.

"I don't know if it was an instruction that was made to the referee through his earpiece, perhaps. The other day, at the Wanda, the referee went to look at the video, whilst today it seems that what was said was sufficient. We're a little lost about the procedure, and it's happened to us a few times now."

What he was clear about, however, was that the elbow from Rodrigo was unintentional.

"I saw the incident. I don't think it's a sending off, above all because the player told me that he didn't mean to do it. I believe him."