Cocca on Juma Bah, Raúl Moro, Kike Pérez, the market, and his position

Real Valladolid CF

How do you assess what happened with Juma?

They are already aware; what happened happened. The player decided something that we were not expecting; the club was expecting the sale, but for him to stay and play for us, and based on that money, be able to strengthen ourselves. Unfortunately, he made another decision and that will be defined later. The reality is that we are losing an important player and it has shaken up the dressing room a bit, because he is a kid who is very dear to us. We have to look ahead and continue to resolve this transfer market.

Did you talk to the player?

No. He came directly to say goodbye. He was very upset; it was perhaps not the best way for him or for us, but each one makes their decisions. There is nothing left but to wish him the best and for us to continue our path.

You've been saying since the match against Girona that the transfer market needed work, and still no player has arrived. How are you experiencing this situation?

[Sighs] It's complicated, undoubtedly. I have the opportunity to speak out, as I have done from the first day, being upfront and saying what I feel and what is happening to me. I am the first one who wants reinforcements to come. The club is on the same page, but in this winter transfer market, we are not in the same position as most clubs that want to reinforce with one or two players to improve. We need to strengthen the team. It's very complicated; this financial control is complicated. We were waiting for the Juma situation to be resolved in a different way. It has now been resolved; not in the way we wanted, but it now gives us the opportunity to go to the market to resolve situations. People need to understand that maybe we want a player from another team and that team, perhaps, won't release them until they find another player. The players that may interest us and want to come will probably take time until they resolve things with their clubs.

Do you feel that the timing for all this is inappropriate?

Unfortunately, this is the situation we are going through. We have to focus on the players we have and the team we have. We have a very important match ahead. The players we have who are committed are demonstrating it. Our job is to continue growing a group of players who want to go out and play, compete, and show our people that they are committed despite the problems. The Real Valladolid fans, when they see that the team is truly making an effort and giving their all, knowing the issues we face, come together and support us, as they did against Betis. That support can give us the strength we all need to get through this moment, in which the goal is to bring in players who are willing to serve and be competitive.

Do you fear that the team may not emerge strengthened from the market, but rather the opposite?

It is always a possibility. I came to Real Valladolid. Everything will be difficult due to the situation we are in. The numbers speak for themselves: we are the team that concedes the most goals, scores the least, we are last... The challenge is to build, and I am convinced that we are building a team that wants, has the desire, has an idea, and showed it in these last few matches. Results are the consequence of something. If we continue building and believing, surely the results will come our way. I focus on that, on working. We are all working; yesterday [Wednesday] we left at nine-thirty at night to try to find the best for the team, to make it competitive and to demonstrate it in every match we play.

If the transfer market closes in a way you do not like, would you consider your continuity?

I do not deal with 'what ifs' and suppositions. What I try to convey is what we are thinking inside the club so that everyone outside understands it. We want to make an important signing that benefits us. It is clear that we will not be bringing in top-tier players because we may be lacking economically and likely in terms of sporting aspects as well, as coming to Real Valladolid means fighting for survival. We have this issue, plus financial fair play. It will have to be rushed, unfortunately, but that's the reality. When next week ends, we will see how we are, what squad we could put together, and how to continue competing. Next week, I will sit down and we'll talk.

The only two changes made against Espanyol seemed like a message to the board.

We are saying that there is a group of players that we are convinced are committed, growing, improving, that everyone is working well, but this is not just about will, it is also about having the ability and will. We evaluate internally and will try to field the best and make the best changes to improve the team. As it is said in my country, everyone is a coach, but know that the one in charge here is trying to do the best and not give up until the end; have no doubts about it.

How is the dressing room dealing with all these setbacks?

The team trains, believes, trusts... We are talking individually and as a group to continue relaying the message that we have to do what's within our reach. They have to know what they need to do to face Real Madrid and go out on the pitch to do it in the best way and show that we are alive. They have shown me this in the two previous matches. We will continue on the same path.

Will you count on Machis and Kenedy again?

There are players that we will not consider and who need to leave for us to bring in others. If they do not secure a club, they will not leave. It's not easy. We have spoken to them to look for a club, but if there are no offers, they would have to stay, and that would prevent us from having room to bring in others. The idea is to try to let them go and not use them, but if we need them, we will.

Do you confirm the offer from Venezia for Kike Pérez?

90

Kike Pérez
1.860.000€+40.000€4

J21

5

J20

12

J19

-

J18

4

J17

MD

02

The transfer window is open throughout Europe. We will see how things play out.

What match are you expecting against Real Madrid?

To continue growing, we have to focus on ourselves. We are aware of the quality and hierarchy of the players that will be on the opposite side and what the club represents, but we have to focus on playing our game and our system, placing the match where it benefits us and trying to compete. We will come out motivated to play against Real Madrid, knowing the pros and cons, but thinking about ourselves.

Raúl Moro's injury

98

Raúl Moro
3.430.000€-10.000€-

J21

4

J20

3

J19

3

J18

3

J17

MD

13

Unfortunately, we all know what happened. These things happen in football. Injuries are part of the job. We have to learn to live with them. Luckily, he was attended to quickly and operated on in Barcelona. So, he will probably be with us on Friday, and we will start the recovery process to have him back as soon as possible.