Chema Sanz: “The players are committed and focused on giving their all from Matchday 1”

Valencia CF assistant coach Chema Sanz spoke to VCF MEDIA on Tuesday, the day after the LaLiga calendar for 2020/21 was published. Talking on behalf of the team, he is looking forward to both the season opener and the campaign ahead.

Starting the season against Levante UD at Mestalla.

“They are always special games, because of the rivalry between the two teams. There's a good relationship there as well: We've just played a friendly against them. The reality is that you have to play against everybody, home and away. The level in LaLiga is very high and there are great coaches and players, as well as very well prepared sides. We have to prepare ourselves to be at our best in every game.

“A lot of the time, when the calendar comes out, you don't know whether a schedule is good or bad. It depends on the form the teams are in, coming into each matchday. We have to focus on ourselves; we're very excited and training very well, and the feeling after the friendly games is good.”

Playing behind closed doors at Mestalla.

“Our fans give us points. They contribute a lot and we miss them very much. You never know. Last season Valencia CF were very strong at home, taking great results there. If that trend continues, then yes, it's better to start at home.”

A tricky spell in the calendar

“There is a bit of a bump in January. After the 24th I think we have four away games: Atletico Madrid, Athletic Club, Real Madrid and Getafe. I expect that at that time they will be in a good position in the table, and in good form, but we are Valencia CF and we are capable of competing with anybody, wherever. That's the objective. Whoever the opponents, we have shown many times that this team can win, be it against Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Atletico Madrid... home or away. Our objective is not to put limits on ourselves. With our daily work and our motivation, united and competing as a team, we want to put up a fight and compete with anybody, anywhere, in any circumstances.”

The current feeling in the squad

“The feeling we have after the friendly matches is very good. The team are competing very well. They are training well and there is a high level of commitment. We're very excited about the new season and we have a lot of faith in how we will do. I think that we will be able to do very well, and above all make the fans very proud of how we compete.”