In Valencia, Javier Aguirre’s first match in charge ended with a point, but not with the calm of a routine debut. The Mexican coach watched his side draw 2-2 with Racing Santander after Valencia lost an early advantage, fell behind, and then found a late response to avoid defeat. Afterwards, he made clear that the dressing room had heard his verdict.
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Aguirre said he addressed the players in his own forceful manner after the final whistle, delivering what he described as a “Mexican-style” shouting-down, with a few insults included. He nevertheless felt the group had responded well to the message.
“I gave them one of the shouts I like to give in Mexican, with a few expletives,” Aguirre said. “I think it was good. They were happy.”
The coach found a squad caught between disappointment and relief. Valencia were angry that a possible victory had slipped away, yet their recovery had prevented a result that could have been worse under Racing pressure.
“The dressing room was furious,” Aguirre said. “There were mixed feelings because they made a huge effort and had the win so close, but we could even have lost the match.”
Valencia had gone ahead through Dani Raba, before Racing turned the contest around with goals involving Iván Martín Núñez and Yassir Zabiri. David Otorbi then scored the equaliser that secured Valencia’s point.
Aguirre stressed that his players finished exhausted, with cramp affecting members of the side, but he saw their frustration as an encouraging sign for a club trying to climb clear of the relegation places. For the new manager, a team’s commitment is shown not only during the match but also in its refusal to accept a draw as enough.
“That is what you want in a dressing room: that it hurts them not to win, that the draw hurts them, and that they look completely spent, all of them suffering from cramp,” he said.
