Rubén Baraja’s appearance before Atlético de Madrid-Valencia next Sunday was marked by the episode involving Rafa Mir in the early hours of September 1. The black-and-white striker was arrested after an incident with two women on the night his team earned its first point out of a possible twelve and now faces charges of sexual assault. The club, after considering all the legal options available to it, decided to keep him on its roster and impose a fine on him. Afterwards, once Valencia’s position was known, its coach, Rubén Baraja, expressed his disappointment at what had happened and decided to keep him off the team for two games. This Friday he came out in his defense until a judge proves otherwise. “I believe in people and we trust him again.”
The Valladolid native made it clear that the sporting field is his domain and that he alone is in charge. Baraja explained his opinion on this thorny issue. “The fans deserve to know what happened with the Rafa Mir issue. The situation has two moments: when the episode happens and when the club decides to reinstate him. Once the reinstatement occurs, from that moment on I come into action and the decision is made that he will be out of the team for two games. This week he is training separately and the next he will be rejoining. Once this second game is over, I will be the one to make the decision of whether he plays or not.”
During the rest of the press conference, Baraja answered the new questions that were directed at him, based on the presumption of innocence and the player’s decision to ask for forgiveness from him and the squad. “I only make a judgment on the sporting level. It was decided that he should be out for two games. Throughout this process there have been some very strange situations that cannot please everyone. At all times, Rafa has apologized to the squad. I have told Rafa that for me it has been a great disappointment. I hope that it has served to teach him, to know how to value and know where he is, in the club where he is and how important it is here to do things well. But a person can make mistakes, have a day in which he does not do things well and logically we have to give him a second chance.”
The only other person who has given his opinion on this matter at Valencia – in the highest spheres no one has wanted to appear before the media – has been Pepelu. The Valencian, one of the team captains, was blunt. “It is a lack of respect for the club and the fans, and it cannot be tolerated,” he said. Baraja has not contradicted the midfielder. “Pepelu is an authoritative voice within the dressing room. He is one of our captains. I agree 100% with what he said and it is the feeling of the dressing room. There are certain things that cannot be done. Not only because of the sporting situation – Valencia is bottom of the league – but because we have to have a minimum as professionals. We wear a badge on our chest that represents many people and we cannot allow this type of thing. From there, logically, the dressing room also knows that he is a player that we may need and understands his forgiveness and allows him to be one more. There is a huge personal disappointment on my part and I have to accept that when there were different alternatives, I decided that it would be him. That is why I told Rafa that it was a huge disappointment.”
Following the Rafa Mir case, some Valencia media have reported that he was not the only player who came out that night – hours before they had drawn at Mestalla with Villarreal -. Baraja came out in defence of the squad. “I absolutely refuse to think that this team is not professional. I am very tired of the professionalism of these players being questioned.” He added that in such a difficult situation for Valencia, which in the next two games also faces two rivals of the stature of Atlético and Girona, it is time to “stand together and close ranks.”
