'We need the people', says Valencia boss after fan protests against owner Lim

By Sports Desk February 12, 2023

Valencia head coach Salvador Gonzalez 'Voro' has pleaded with the struggling club's fans to express their "Valencianism" to help the team.

Thousands of supporters staged a protest prior to Saturday's home game with Athletic Bilbao aimed at owner Peter Lim, with Valencia in the LaLiga relegation zone.

A 2-1 defeat to Athletic meant Los Che have now picked up just one point from their past seven league games and lost four in a row.

Despite the defeat, Voro was pleased with the performance of his side, who took the lead through Samu Castillejo, only for goals from Nico Williams and Oihan Sancet to turn things around at the Mestalla.

Voro said: "The team has been closer to being able to win and has been focused except on some detail that Athletic has taken advantage of.

"The attitude has been very good and it's unfair, but football is like that. It's a sad day, but improvements have been seen and you have to compete equally to be able to win games."

When asked about the fan protests, Voro added: "The situation is very complicated from a sporting perspective. 

"We understand that the public may be upset, I respect that everyone expresses their Valencianism in the way they consider, but we need the people.

"We are in a very difficult situation, and I think that today there are green shoots. It has not given us a win, but we have lost due to specific actions, football has these things."

Valencia striker Hugo Duro understands the fans' frustration.

"It is normal for the fans to be this demanding when they are in this situation, I would be too," he said after the Athletic game. "We've had 37,000 people come out here tonight and we cannot ask for more.

"They support however they can and the rest is down to us."

Related items

  • Getafe 0-3 Atletico Madrid: Griezmann treble seals Champions League qualification Getafe 0-3 Atletico Madrid: Griezmann treble seals Champions League qualification

    Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann scored a hat-trick in a 3-0 LaLiga win at Getafe on Wednesday as Diego Simeone's side sealed Champions League qualification.

    The France star opened the scoring in the 27th minute from Rodrigo De Paul's throughball and had his second shortly before half-time, flicking Samuel Lino's pinpoint pass past Getafe goalkeeper David Soria.

    Griezmann completed his hat-trick in the 51st minute with a fine finish under Soria's legs, with Lino claiming his second assist by playing Los Colchoneros' all-time leading scorer into the area.

    It was Griezmann's second hat-trick of the season, after he also netted three times in a 3-0 win at Celta Vigo last October.

    With two games remaining, Simeone's side are now on 73 points in fourth, 11 ahead of fifth-placed Athletic Bilbao, who lost 2-1 against Celta Vigo on Wednesday.

    Data Debrief: Griezmann repeats the trick

    Griezmann is the only player to score two hat-tricks in LaLiga this season, and the only player to net a treble with all three goals coming on his left foot.

    He might need to go even further to put himself in Golden Boot contention, though, with his 16 goals for this term putting him behind Artem Dovbyk (20), Jude Bellingham, Alexander Sorloth (both 19) and Robert Lewandowski (17).

  • Fernandes looking for strong finish to Man Utd's season Fernandes looking for strong finish to Man Utd's season

    Bruno Fernandes says Manchester United must "finish the season in the best way" following their 3-2 win over Newcastle United.

    The United youngsters played starring roles, with Kobbie Mainoo, Amad Diallo and Rasmus Hojlund getting all three goals to close the gap to Newcastle in the table.

    Anthony Gordon and Lewis Hall both netted for the Magpies, with the latter setting up a nervy finish with his stoppage-time effort, but their lack of clinical edge meant United earned all three points.

    Erik ten Hag’s side avoided a third consecutive defeat, and what would have been a record-breaking 10th home loss of the season, and Fernandes insists they must find a way to finish positively. 

    Speaking to Sky Sports, the United captain said: "Obviously the job isn’t finished yet. We still have one game in the Premier League, then the biggest game of the season, the FA Cup final.

    "It has been a tough season. The table shows that, and we are all aware of that. The fans have been amazing and behind us all season. We all appreciate what they have been doing for us.

    "We want to do better and do differently. They [fans] have been amazing for us, and we had to do something. We have been trying, but results don’t show that. We have been working hard and everyone has been giving their best. It is not enough, and we have to do more.

    "We still have two games to go, and we have to finish in the best way.

    "It doesn’t exist, a captain's performance, it is a team performance. I am no different from anyone just because I have the armband. I always try my best, and we always do the best we can for the club – nobody hides that we play for a big club, and we have to lift our standards every game."

    Despite returning to winning ways, United have now conceded 58 Premier League goals this season, their most across a single campaign in the competition.

    Ten Hag was keen to turn the focus away from their struggling defence and onto the attacking players instead.

    "Fantastic. Great goals. But it was a team effort how we made the goals. But I'm always happy at young players who are progressing very good and scored some brilliant goals," he told BBC Sport.

    "Newcastle have a lot of physical power, and you have to match that, but you also have to play football. We had found the really good balance in this.

    "It's always nice to win any game. It's important to win the last game at Old Trafford this season. The fans deserve this because they've had difficult times and always stayed with us.

    "We are here together. We wanted to pay the fans back."

     

  • JPL finalists Mount Pleasant, Cavalier join teams from T&T, Dom Rep as early qualifiers for Concacaf Caribbean Cup JPL finalists Mount Pleasant, Cavalier join teams from T&T, Dom Rep as early qualifiers for Concacaf Caribbean Cup

    Reigning Jamaica Premier League champions Mount Pleasant FA and Cavalier FC have booked spots in this year’s Concacaf Caribbean Cup where they will again challenge for a berth in next year’s Concacaf Champions Cup.

    By virtue of setting up a repeat of last year’s final, Mount Pleasant, hunting their second local top-flight title, and Cavalier, seeking redemption from last season’s defeat, joined three other clubs from Dominican Republic and Trinidad and Tobago as early confirmations.

    This will be Mount Pleasant’s debut in the Caribbean Cup and first appearance in a Concacaf tournament, while Cavalier makes a return after an unbeaten run in the group stage, before finishing as runner-up to Suriname’s Robinhood FC. It also and earned them a debut appearance in the Concacaf Champions Cup.

    From Dominican Republic, Cibao FC, will make its second appearance in the Caribbean Cup as the 2023 league champion from the Dominican Republic. Cibao has become a regular to Concacaf competitions, appearing in the 2018 Champions League and the 2020 and 2022 Concacaf League.

    Based in Santiago de los Caballeros, Cibao became the first team in the history of the Dominican Republic to secure an official international title when they won the 2017 Concacaf Caribbean Club Championship.

    Meanwhile, Moca FC, also out of Dominican Republic, returns for a second crack at the Caribbean Cup due to their standing in the 2023 season. Moca reached the semifinals in the previous edition and won the third-place match to qualify for the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup, making its debut earlier this year. Gustavo Ascona is the club’s all-time leader with four goals in the competition.

    Trinidad and Tobago’s AC Port of Spain will make a second appearance in the Caribbean Cup. The club will be aiming to achieved new milestones by getting their first win in the tournament and, by extension, secure a first Concacaf Champions Cup participation.

    The remaining clubs in the annual 10-team tournament –that crowns a Caribbean champion and determine participants from the region for the Concacaf Champions Cup –will be determined as their respective nations wrap up their domestic seasons.

    A draw will be held on June 6 to divide the teams into two groups of five.

© 2023 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.