Javier Aguirre makes his Valencia debut on Sunday at El Sardinero

Javier Aguirre, Valencia’s head coach, makes his debut this Sunday at El Sardinero against Racing de Santander with plenty of pressure after the club managed only 4 of the 21 points available and sit second from bottom, according to MARCA. In his pre-match press conference, the Mexican insisted his team will “not negotiate effort” and said he’s noticed the fans are “expectant” to see if he can “turn Valencia around”, adding: “I’m calm, I don’t have to hide in the street.”

A debut under pressure

Aguirre said that since the 24th he has been speaking “a lot” both individually and as a group to install his football idea and the need for points. He also underlined that aside from physical work, the mental side matters.

He addressed Harvey Elliott’s situation, saying he communicates with him in the same language and that the player is working with a personal nutritionist, looking “finer”, while still with the aim of getting the best out of him. On selection, Aguirre said he is aiming to use Danjuma, while Rioja “doesn’t arrive” and he believes he won’t take him. He also defended a clear youth approach: he doesn’t care about passports or age—if a player did well during the week, they play.