Ruben Baraja He spoke to the media in advance of Valencia’s visit to the Metropolitano to face Atlético, where he spoke clearly about the case Rafa Mir and revealed the punishment that has been imposed on him. El Pipo recounted the talk he had with the player, in which he told him that “it was a big disappointment,” but at the same time “I also believe in people.” Meanwhile, the striker will be out of the team for the next two games, as well as training on the sidelines this week.
«It is important to explain thingsbecause our fans have to know what happened and how we have scenarios in a situation that we would have liked not to have happened. The situation has two scenarios, one is when Rafa Mir’s incident occurs and the club has to make a decision. In that phase it is a club decision in which I cannot enter, because my thing is sports. Once readmission occurs, that is when I come in to assess the situation experienced and assess what the consequence is. There The decision is made that he is out of the team for two games», coach Che began by saying.
«This week he trains on the sidelines and next week he will join. Once these two games pass, it will be one more and I will decide when he plays. It is difficult to make a Solomonic decision, an attempt has been made to make a decision with common sense. He apologizes to the squad, accepts the punishment and as a coach I understand that an act of indiscipline has to have consequences for him and for the health of the team. This also gives us room to understand that a person can make a mistake and give them a second chance“added Baraja about Rafa Mir.
El Pipo subscribed “one hundred percent” to the words of Pepelu, one of Valencia’s captains, about the case: “Pepelu It is an authoritative voice. I agree one hundred percent with your opinion. because it is the feeling of the locker room. There are things that cannot be done, not only because of the team’s sporting situation, which we have not started well, but we also have to have some minimums as professionals and from there the locker room knows that he is a player that we may need during the season. and understands his forgiveness.
However, Baraja acknowledged being disappointed with Rafa Mir: «During this journey there is great disappointment, at least on my part. I have to assume that this summer there were different players for that position and I was the one who decided that he could give us things in attack, that’s what I told him and Rafa has to consider doing things well at Valencia. I told Rafa that it was a big disappointment for me.but I have told him that this has to make him realize where he is and how things have to be done, at least while I am here. But there is a second part, I believe in people and we have to trust them again».
Regarding how it will manage recriminations that Rafa Mir can receive both at Mestalla and outside, Baraja explained that «It’s a melon to open. We don’t know what’s going to happen. What is evident is that the most important thing in my life is respect for people, I am against any aggression, whether physical or sexual. But there is a situation that is in a judicial process and that we cannot evaluate. We don’t know what the judge is going to decide, because I am not a judge. And along that path, Rafa will have to cope with that personal situation that she has. Together we will help him, as much as possible, which will be difficult, to have a position as a respected person. If they happen, we will have to manage them. As I said before, make the best decision.
Regarding whether he thought that this situation is to be a spokesman or he would have liked the club to make a prior explanation, the Valencian coach explained: «There are certain things that I feel the need to explain to our fans.which are our most valuable treasure. The club has taken the appropriate steps in that situation. He made a decision, reported it and now I explain what the sporting decision was. When you speak naturally, there will be people who understand you and others who don’t, you have to assume that not everyone will like it. But we have to be consistent with the situation that has been experienced.
Baraja does not want to get ahead of what may happen in the judicial process and made it clear that they will see how things happen, and depending on what happens they will take the corresponding measures: “You cannot know what will happen from now on. . There is an open process that I do not control. You have to be respectful of this process and as it happens, we will decide.. The reality at this moment is that I cannot talk about that process, life goes on and I have to focus on sports. For me this issue is settled and I focus on what I do.”
Finally, Baraja was asked if he thinks it would have been more convenient if the first voices in the Rafa Mir case had been the president or the corporate director: «A sequence has been made, from my point of view, which is to take a decision, make a statement and be consistent with that decision. From there, I make a sporting decision. What would you have liked to see done differently? Well I don’t know. It has been done like this, We have tried to do it from common sense and with a forceful message“Not only because of the sporting situation we are in, because even if things had gone well for us, there are certain hours when you can’t be there because you represent a shield that must be respected.”
