Mateu Alemany: 'The team need the fans' support more than ever'

How important are the fans for the players?

I think the first and most important thing for us is that we have to be clear about the level of demand that comes with the club, its history and its fans. Valencia CF have the obligation to be up at the top; I understand perfectly why people are upset and I will not tell them what they should do. I thank the fans because they have behaved excellently with the team. In the last two games they showed their discontent, but I thank them because they did it when the game was practically finished and until that moment they supported the team. They are want the team to win, and they know that the team needs them. I thank them because they have encouraged the team and have had a lot of patience, and when they have had to show their disagreement they have done so at the end of games. Now, more than ever, the team needs their support.

Does this project dependo n what happens against Valladolid?

Definitely not. Projects aren’t as short term as a single match. This is a project that was created 1.5 years ago and is in process. We should remember the enormous success that our players and coach have achieved. You can’t draw conclusions just from the last game. I have a global perspective.

Will Marcelino continue as coach if you don’t win against Valladolid?

I don’t talk about hypotheses, because we’d be here forever talking about things. They don’t lead anywhere. I can talk about the present and the past because that’s about facts, not assumptions or riddles. The facts are clear: The results are not what we had expected or what we want, or what the fans deserve, and we have had the same coach and the same players since the beginning of the season. The club has no plan to make a short-term decision. The coach has our support to get through a tough situation.

Is the team in crisis and are changes necessary?

The results are bad and there is an obvious crisis of results that worries us, but we all work together. When the results are bad, the reasons are analysed. At this time we are at a point in which I am not going to enter into that analysis, because it could come off sounding like an excuse, and we are looking for solutions. The process now is to go on a run of good results, because otherwise the gap to our objectives will be impossible to surmount. We are all aware of the imperative need for positive results, and we are working hard.

I am with the team in the day-to-day. Evidently the results aren’t coming, but it is not for lack of commitment or quality. No one can doubt the commitment of the team, and their quality is proven. These players and the coach took us to the Champions League. I understand that people are upset. We have enough players to get out of this situation, and a coaching staff that took us to fourth place and to the semifinals of the Copa del Rey. There is only one way: Perseverance, hard work and being aware of all the details. If I saw a different scenario, things would be different.

Will Marcelino be the coach next Tuesday?

In football, time is different from normal life; everything is very fast and immediate. You have to plan for any contingency. We have a great coach, a great team and we have an obligation to get results. If that were not the case, we would have already made changes. We have a very important game on Saturday, then another on Tuesday. We have to go game by game, but we need results. The short term is not a period of five days.

Does the coach have the full support of the club?

Valencia CF have no plans to make any change of coach. Marcelino has a contract through to 2020 and my deepest desire is that he sees it out -and, if possible, renews. We have the imperious need to win. We are far from where we want to be, and we need to chase this.

Have you spoken with Peter Lim?

I have continuous contact with Mr. Lim and I know his opinion, because it has an influence. He is obviously worried about the situation and unhappy about the results, like all of our fans.

What reasons do you see for the club being in this situation?

I didn’t want to come here and say why we are in this situation, because it will sound like excuses. There have been continuous injuries to important players, lack of finishing in front of goal, bad luck… negative dynamics are difficult to change. It’s very important that we have in our heads that we need to win. We need to beat Valladolid on Saturday and keep winning.

Do the club place value on the Copa del Rey?

It is a competition for which, as an important cup, there should be a reflection in Spain about the format. There is low attendance and reserve players are used. We came into the Copa del Rey in second place in the league last season, and we dedicated resources and time to it. This year we’ve had important players injured in December, the league position is not what we expected and we have to have maximum concentration on LaLiga, which takes priority. We are not going to throw away the cup, but it helps us to rotate and use young players. From there, we have to get as far as possible, but there are important differences in terms of the scenario compared to last year.