Marchena: "I am very happy with the work that Baraja is doing"

Carlos Marchena has proven to be able to turn his hand to many roles in football. At Valencia CF he spent a decade as a player during a highly successful period in the club's history, and last season he was part of Rubén Baraja's coaching staff in the final stretch of the campaign.

Marchena now faces a new challenge with the start-up of his CM Academy -the startup of which was the reason why he did not stay on as Baraja's number two this term.

“It is a project that I had been thinking about being able to get going for a long time and we have already started it. We are very happy because the repercussion has been very positive, with many people interested. I'm very happy, but I have a lot of responsibility," he told VCF Media this week.

“Anyone who does not study will not be able to be in our CM Academy. They are children who play football and we want to raise their level, but we want them to experience it as children playing sport, aware that the first and foremost importance is studying. The objective is to give them a comprehensive point of view of football, values, behaviour, lifestyle habits and more, all adapted to the age of the players."

Preparing for the CM Academy's opening in September, Marchena is currently in Sevilla, where Valencia CF open their LaLiga season with an away game against Sevilla FC.

"It's going to be a nice game to open the season and provide a good show," says Marchena, who also highlighted the good work that his friend Baraja's team are doing this preseason.

“I am very happy with the job that Baraja is doing. Little by little he is trying to make a team tailored to him, with his ideas. He did that last year but with different circumstances. He is now starting a project from scratch, with the ideas from the previous year, but with many young players and great enthusiasm."

“I am in contact with the people at the club, they called me yesterday for my birthday. They conveyed to me the feeling they have about the squad, that they are very happy and excited, that a good team is being formed, that they are growing in preseason and eager for LaLiga to start, to see the level that the team are at."

“A door has been opened for the young players. Last year we had to make very brave and risky decisions; decisions that, if they work out, will elevate you. If they go wrong, you pay for it. It went well for us and a very big path has opened up for the kids.

If their teammates have done it, they see that they can get there too and that gives the team a boost. It gives the VCF Academy a plus, it gives the club a boost and allows the coach to show that he is not obliged to play anyone and that places are earned in training," concluded Marchena.