Marcelino: "The pace of the game might be slower at 5pm, but we are Valencia CF"

Valencia CF coach Marcelino spoke to the media the day before the game against RCD Mallorca, in which he previewed the Matchday 3 contest after taking a moment to offer his condolences to Luis Enrique and his family.

Luis Enrique
"Before we get underway, I want to offer my condolences to Luis Enrique and his family. I am fortunate enough to know him personally, and on behalf of myself, my family, the coaching staff and the squad, we want to offer our complete support at this difficult time. It is hard when we lose a family member, but losing a child goes beyond even those circumstances. Maybe these moments make us thing about how to put into perspective some things which might seem important, because there are other things which are much more so."

Returning to Mestalla
"What really interests us is beating Mallorca, giving some satisfaction to our fans and focusing on football. We haven't won in two games; we didn't have a good game in Vigo, and we drew a game that we had in the bag against Real Sociedad.

"Mallorca have a winning dynamic. They have earned two consecutive promotions, they beat Eibar and had an evenly matched game against Real Sociedad. We expect a Mallorca side who play directly, with good transitions, who defend intensely and in an organised way, and who are going to make it very difficult. Playing at 5pm means that it will be very hot, and the pace of the game might be slower than if we were playing in another timeslot, but we are Valencia CF and we have to overcome difficulties and end the day with 4 points."
 

Piccini
"It was a big blow to us on a professional level to see a player suffer an unfortunate knock and suffer such a serious injury. It's tough for him, for us and for his teammates. I hope that the operation went well. He is in good spirits and convinced that he will be back with us as soon as possible. We are going to help him to feel supported and loved, so that his recovery is as fast as possible."

Motivation
"Our motivation is still intact. I've said before that this is a very nice and exciting challenge, training Valencia CF every day. I have a very good squad in terms of their football and their human side, and that is an attractive, exciting thing. We all want to grow and the team have been on a dynamic of growth -of which we shall try to take advantage."