"The Cup is not a hindrance at all. It is a very beautiful and attractive competition. We are approaching it with a lot of respect and seriousness," Javier Aguirre told Europa Press as Valencia prepare for their Copa del Rey debut this Tuesday. They meet Tavernes in the first round at Mestalla, and the manager wants the tie treated as a proper test rather than a break from the league strain around it.
Valencia's league pressure
The league form is hard to ignore. Valencia are 19th in La Liga with 9 points from 12 matches, and they have won only 2 of those 12. Their recent run is 1 win, 1 draw and 3 losses in the last five league games, with 8 league goals scored and 20 conceded.
That backdrop explains why Aguirre is stressing seriousness. Valencia will also have to manage the shape of the week, with a match on Wednesday and Sunday for the Academia VCF, so a recognizable team looks likely even in a cup tie that could have been framed as a chance to rotate heavily.
Mestalla and the team selection
The tie itself is straightforward on paper, but the setting is not. Valencia are at Mestalla against a side from Tavernes de la Valldigna, and the club's first step into the competition comes during a stretch where every match carries more weight than usual.
Aguirre's message is consistent: the Copa del Rey is not an inconvenience, and Valencia cannot afford to treat it like one. With only one win in his short reign, he does not have room for a casual approach, and the first-round fixture against Tavernes is the first chance to show that the talk about respect matches the selection on Tuesday.
Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
