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After a goalless draw at the "La Mestalla" stadium, Madrid coach Juan Ramon Lopez Caro said that the match was interesting and added that they have not lost the fight for the Spanish champion's title, even though they are 9 points behind leaders Barcelona, and the Catalan superclub still has one match in hand.
"There are still many points left. Today (Saturday) we saw two very strong teams, and there are still teams like Osasuna (who will play against Barcelona on Sunday - ed.), which certainly has great goals," said the Real strategist. "Now we must demand the highest standards for both our game and results."
"Today we had the initiative several times, but it was difficult for us because we fought in the middle of the week in the UEFA Champions League," J.R. Lopez Caro continued. "Still, the players once again proved that they are true professionals."
"These matches were very important, we gave it our all, but luck was not on our side - even in the last episode (Ronaldo missed a penalty - ed.), fortune was not in our favor," the Spaniard said.
Ending the conversation with journalists, the coach surprised everyone by stating that the match, which Spanish newspapers called boring, was actually very interesting: "It's hard to create many chances playing against Valencia, but the match was very interesting, the fans had to enjoy it."
Meanwhile, Valencia coach Quique Sanchez Flores was outraged at the referees after the match, who did not notice "Real" players handling the ball in two very important episodes.
At the beginning of the match, Sergio Ramos held the ball with both hands in his penalty area, although the referee did not stop the game. "The linesman saw something that rarely happens, but made the easiest decision," the Valencia coach tactfully remarked.
"I caught the ball with my hands after hearing a whistle and thinking that the referee had stopped the game. I don't know who could have blown the whistle," the "Real" defender explained after the match, admitting that the referees made mistakes.
"If we talk a lot about this episode, it would seem like we are making excuses, but the truth is that "Real" played better today," Q. Sanchez Flores said.
The match officials did not notice Ronaldo's handball during the game and at the end of the match, when he used his hands to control a long pass, then broke into the penalty area and, after a mistake by Valencia goalkeeper Santiago Canizares, earned an eleven-meter penalty. However, the Brazilian Ronaldo, who took the penalty, struck weakly and S. Canizares saved his attempt.
