Corberán: “It was a win born from faith and commitment” | OneFootball

His analysis of the game

The match started with a penalty against us; nothing had happened until that incident.

It's an incident we see in many matches, where any slight contact in the box, even a minor touch, is penalised, whether for or against the attacking team. I think we need to consider whether the contact was related to the move and actually prevented an attacking movement. The referee or VAR understood that it did, and before the game had even really started, we were already behind.

That's difficult to deal with, because starting a match by going behind can lead you to rush things and not control the game properly. But I saw the team react immediately, at times playing the way we needed to, at other times rushing things because of the score, forcing unnecessary attacks when we should have been shifting the game around the opposing team. And I honestly think the team deserved not to be losing at halftime.

At the start of the second half, the team maintained that determination and we managed to score. I'd say that up until the 60th minute, we again deserved to completely turn the result around. It didn't happen, and then, from a corner kick -in a match we'd dominated- we went behind from a set piece. We'd been defending them very well recently, but which we failed to defend it well today.

That was a tough blow to take, because it led us to rush things, to lose control. And in that loss of control, you can completely let the game get away from you. At the same time, the team fought hard, and it was a question of faith and commitment to something that was very important for us, which was to get the three points. Thanks to the team's grit, to those who came on, to the efforts of those who were already playing, we managed to first equalise and then win the game.

If I had to analyse this result, a defeat would have seemed incredibly unfair to me.

The team’s objective

We wanted to give the fans something to cheer about today, and as I said yesterday, the goal is to maintain the momentum we have from the second half of the season. Of the eight matches we've played so far, the team have achieved five victories. That, after the first half of the season, which wasn't what we wanted, was very important.

The objective was to win today. It was a tough, very difficult game. The team's belief, the players' commitment, their fight, and the dedication until the very end allowed us to take these important three points.

Starting tomorrow, the objective is very clear: to go to Oviedo and win there. Their current form is unrelated to their current situation, but our job is to analyse what they do. Starting tomorrow, we'll be focused on preparing for that game, because there won't be anything more important for us than getting a good result there.

Players contributing from off the bench

Matches aren't won solely by the players who start; they are contested with every single player. Those who start are just as important to me as those who finish a game.

Last week, when we made the substitutions, the game was level and they ended up winning. Today, we were losing, and the contributions of all the players who came off the bench were crucial. It was a tough situation, and they provided the energy and ability needed to turn things around and secure this vital victory.

The celebration for the third goal

I celebrated with my father and my wife. I turned to them because I know where they are, and because I know how much they suffer. When your family is close and know how much we want to win, they always have a hard time when things don't go our way.

As for the opinion of Mestalla, I accept any criticism; I take full responsibility when things don't go well. I know this is my job, and I'm the first one who isn't happy when we don't get good results.

The pressure in Valencia doesn't bother me at all; quite the opposite. This is a big club, used to winning a lot of things, and that pressure can only make us better. When things don't go our way, I take full responsibility, and I deal with it that way.

But when you do get a win, and there are people who suffer so much with me, the people who see you giving your all and who are always there supporting us, it's wonderful to be able to celebrate with them.

The early penalty

I believe a contact that directly interferes with or negates a goal-scoring opportunity -in which case I understand the rule applies- is not the same as a trip that occurs in an action that doesn't directly influence the attacker's play, doesn't create a scoring opportunity, or doesn't affect the attacker's movement. Rather, it's an accidental part of a movement that was already in progress, and it's considered an accident when there's no actual impact or influence on the play.

So, for me, both for and against us, it's something I think should be considered.

Dani Raba

Managing Dani has been very straightforward because, as I've said repeatedly, he's incredibly professional. It was a shame he suffered an injury during the Copa del Rey Round of 16, which slowed his progress a bit.

He had an injury that interrupted his ability to get playing time in the Copa del Rey, which would have allowed him to continue developing and contributing to the team. But if I put him on the pitch today, it's a direct result of his everyday work. If I hadn't seen what he's been doing, I wouldn't have had that confidence, because it's difficult to regain your fitness after a long period of inactivity.

But Dani Raba trains very hard every day, he pushes others, he pushes himself, and he has impeccable maturity and professionalism.