Valencia CF coach Unai Emery Interview

Valencia CF coach Unai Emery gave an interview to the official Valencia CF website. Here it is:

50 victories
“I am satisfied with having earned the 50th win, but also satisfied in general for the work that the team is doing at the moment. The team keeps hitting targets and have the ambition to make every win a stepping stone for the next one."

The third best first half of the decade
“We have 37 points, but things don't stop yet. We have the entire second half of the season to go, in which we want to continue on this constant road. We also want some small improvements in every aspect of our play, and above all to set out our stall as a team who should be in the Champions League again next season."

Desire for improvement
“We have two teams above us in Real Madrid and Barcelona, who are at such a high level that it is difficult to compete with them and to keep up with them under the present circumstances. But we will try to do so. Our other rivals like Villarreal and Espanyol are having a great season, and we are competing against them. We also mustn't forget that other teams may join in the fight, like Atlético de Madrid or Sevilla. We are satisfied, with the door also open for improvement. We want to transmit the idea that we can keep on growing, through our effort, dedication and teamwork."

Ambitions for the future
“The team are showing that they are maturing, through their refusal to give in and their insistence on going for the win right until the end. It is this attitude that has given us wins recently, when we have refused to settle for a draw. It is an important detail. However, we have also had our dips -like the second half against Villarreal. In that game, we had the quarter final in the palm of our hand, and let it get away. That was a return to some bad habits, and fortunately we have been able to correct the mistakes in the league."

The Academy
"We can't forget about Valencia CF's history, and what we want the club to be at present. We want a hard working team and to bring through the youth team players. Youngsters are coming through to the first team from our academy in Paterna, and it is a source of great satisfaction for everyone. To give two examples, right now we have Guaita and Jordi Alba in the first team.

Mestalla
“I can't repeat often enough that for the team, Mestalla is a place where we want to feel comfortable. We want to get this through to the fans, so that they in turn pass on this strength to the players. We want the team to feel as good as possible, so that they can win games."

Home games the key
“We know how crucial it is to make Mestalla into a fortress, where we always go out as favourites to win. That will happen with the invaluable support of the fans helping us to get stronger."

Champions League knockout stage
"We can't forget that we have a very attractive tie against Schalke 04 and Raúl still to come. We have our eye on this two-legged contest, which we will begin at Mestalla before the second match in Germany. We will be looking to do a great job in order to get through to the next round, and we want the fans to enjoy the occasion too."

Source: valenciacf.com