While the country remains aware of the consequences of the disaster caused by the DANAwhich already accumulates more than 200 dead and hundreds missingthe ball started rolling yesterday in Spanish football. LaLiga canceled the matches that were to be played in the Valencian Community, the Valencia-RealMadrid and the Villarreal-Rayobut confirmed the celebration of the rest of the day as planned. A decision that has angered footballers and coaches.
“The day should not have been played. Many of us have friends or family in Valencia and surrounding areas who are having a hard time,” he said. Pablo MaffeoMallorca defender, after his team’s match in Vitoria against Alavés. “I think they look more at the money than at us,” he criticized.
Alavés-Mallorca kicked off a day that this Saturday will see two matches, Osasuna-Valladolid and Girona-Leganés, and which this Sunday will complete with four more: Atlético – Las Palmas, Barcelona – Espanyol, Sevilla – Real Sociedad and Athletic Club – Betis.
As on every day, the protagonists held a press conference prior to the matches, where they took the opportunity to criticize the dispute of this weekend’s duels. “There’s no point in playingit’s exciting to see how people are helping with a shovel or whatever they have. We, when they tell us,” he admitted Simeonered and white coach.
Along the same lines, it was shown Hansi FlickBarcelona coach. “We have Ferran Torres, who is from there. We have talked about it in the team, but it is not easy to make a decision on what to do. Something similar happened in Germany three years ago and it is horrible. If we can support the Community Valenciana, we will do it. The other thing is LaLiga’s decision,” he acknowledged. but he insisted that “if I could make the decision, maybe I would do it.” (suspend the day)”. “It is really a tragedy for the Community of Valencia and for all of Spain,” he concluded.
His rival in the Catalan derby, Manolo GonzalezEspanyol coach, stated that “human lives are above football.” “The situation is very serious. I don’t want to say more and have them think I’m using it as an excuse. But lives are always above football“he insisted.
Some of the footballers and coaches with a direct connection to the tragedy were more forceful, such as Vicente MorenoOsasuna coach and native of Massanasa, one of the affected towns. “No one is aware of what is happening there. I can assure you because I am in constant contact with my children. It is a chaos that we cannot imagine,” he said.
“The game that should never have been played“, public Toni LatoValencian side of Mallorca. Opposite, Luis Garcia PlazaAlavés coach. The Vitorian team took the three points, but for their coach “there is nowhere to go“that the day has been played. “We have won and I am happy about that, but playing the day… There is no way to take it. With everything that has happened, the deceased… My family is from the Valencian Community, I have friends there... It is a very hard situation. Please, I ask that we all do our best to help,” he reflected after the meeting.
This morning more voices have joined. “The day should not have been played, I don’t know what other teammates thought, but the day should have been suspended“It doesn’t make any sense,” he said. José BordalásGetafe coach born in Alicante.
“I would very much agree that all the games were suspended even if we did not have dates. What the Valencians are suffering is a maximum tragedy“said Imanol Alguacil, coach of Real.
The LaLiga dress
As this newspaper has learned, LaLiga’s decision not to suspend the rest of the day It has nothing to do with a hypothetical calendar problem. of the season, since the organization would have spaces to play the matches. Instead, the competition plans to raise “a very significant amount of money” for those affected thanks to the campaign started with the Red Cross this weekend. If the matches had been suspended, LaLiga sources say, “it would be very difficult” to give it visibility.
“The best decision is not to stop,” he said. Javier Tebas on his social networks. “We believe that in the terrible situation that we are experiencing in Spain, the best message is not to stop, except in the affected areas. The best message is to be on the front line in our jobs like all workers in the rest of the sectors, giving visibility, generating resources and explaining to the world that we have to be all hands on deck to get ahead,” he wrote.
Sources from the competition also assure this newspaper that when the situation improves they will carry out an analysis of the football fields in the affected towns and help rebuild them.