Dimitri Foulquier spoke to VCF Media ahead of the return to LaLiga action, which sees Valencia CF at home to Rayo Vallecano next Monday.

How are the team doing?

We are motivated. Now we have finished training, are working hard, waiting for the internationals to come back and preparing for the game on Monday. The break is long, but it also allows us to work on other aspects.

Injured players returning

In a situation like this, all the players are important and it's good to see Toni (Lato), Marcos (André) and Gabriel (Paulista) in training again. We are going to need all the players.

April

It is a key month, but before we think about the month of April we have to think about Monday's game, which is the next one.

Rayo Vallecano

It’s a very important match. Lately, in general, we are doing ok, but at home we are better. Especially after the last game that we are not happy with, with what we did against Atletico Madrid, we are looking forward to the game on Monday to get a third consecutive victory at Mestalla.

At home we feel strong with the support of the fans, and we want to continue winning. It won't be easy because Rayo Vallecano are a strong team, but we want the three points and we're going to go for them.

Mestalla

There have been times when the fans were not happy, but as players we understand that. Lately we have noticed a lot of support and that helps us a lot. Together we are very strong at Mestalla.

Conviction

The situation is difficult, we know. This will not be a change from one day to the next. We have won two home games against Real Sociedad and Osasuna and we are still at the bottom. You have to keep competing; there will be times when even competing we will lose games, but the important thing is to compete. By competing you will win matches.

His personal situation

Sometimes you play and sometimes you don't. Now I'm getting more minutes, but I think that in this situation I don't look at football on an individual level. The important thing, whoever plays, is that we beat Rayo. We cannot look at who plays however many minutes. We have to win, and that's it.

Of course a player wants to play and I wasn't happy with the minutes I had before. But right now the important thing is to get out of the relegation zone, and that's it. We are convinced that we will be able to get out of there.

Competing at home and away

Football is becoming more and more even. Matches are often decided by a single goal and by set pieces. You have to compete and make sure that you win or lose based on a small detail. Competing is the key.

Away from home against Getafe we competed, but we lost, just like at the Camp Nou. If you keep competing you'll win games away from home. The match at the Metropolitano is an example of what we shouldn’t do. We are clear about that, we have to perform like in the other two away games -and at home continue what we are doing.

Calendar

We are clear and the coach is also clear about things. That's what's important. We are all pulling in the same direction and with the same objective. The fans too. We are all in this together. We know it's difficult, but we're going to fight.

The fans

We were not surprised that the tickets for Almería sold out in 8 minutes. We know that the Valencia CF fans are very passionate and we feel it, above all at home, but also away. Last year I remember the Cup final in Seville, where there were fewer Valencia CF fans, but you could hear them much more.

Defending

That's what competition is all about. If everyone shows solidarity, both forwards and defenders, and when the whole team work hard, you can see the impact in the results and in the number of goals conceded. We have to continue in that way. We aren’t good enough to be able to afford not to defend together. We have been doing well lately and we have to continue.

Baraja

In addition to tactical issues, the message that he conveys to us is to compete, to be proud, to show solidarity, to fight for our teammates and to fight for the fans.

In the end, the most important thing in football is values, mentality, attitude... in the end, you can have talent, but what makes the difference in a match is intensity. We won the last two games at Mestalla with great intensity and that is no coincidence.