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Javier Aguirre’s first day as coach of Valencia CF was a sprint from the moment of landing. Without waiting even a minute, the Mexican coach headed directly from the airport to the Paterna Sports City, where he began working immediately with the squad. His agenda was full: meetings with the captains, José Gayà and Guido Rodríguez, and an exhaustive review of all the details of the team. The first thing he did was cancel the weekend break for the squad, marking from the beginning his style of demandingness.
On the second working day, Friday, he confirmed that intensity. Before the training with the group began, Aguirre focused on the specific preparation of the goalkeepers: Stole Dimitrievski, Kayne Van Oevelen, Cristian Rivero and Raúl Jiménez. His technical staff includes Andoni Otxotorena, the son of the legendary José Manuel Otxotorena, which reinforces the technical and detailed approach that the new coach wants to impose.
One of the key points of the session was the presence of Mouctar Diakhaby, who participated during part of the training and has already accumulated four consecutive sessions with the group. It is a step forward in his recovery process, although he has not yet been tested with the rest of the teammates on the pitch. The main concern of the coaching staff remains the defense, where Pepelu, a natural midfielder, has had to act as a central defender since the end of last season.
Although Diakhaby is progressing, the rest of the injured players are not showing significant improvements. José Copete, Umar Sadiq, César Tárrega, Dimitri Foulquier and Diego López continue with their treatments in indoor facilities and have not returned to normal work. Tárrega, in particular, is still not tested with the group, despite the coach expecting his return soon.
Valencia CF’s next commitment is against Racing de Santander on October 11, an appointment in which the team hopes to be able to recover personnel. However, Sadiq will have to wait more weeks before returning. The team will train again on Saturday, with a rest day on Sunday. Meanwhile, the new coaching staff is focused on strengthening the defense and consolidating its style from the first day.