Aguirre refuses to blame referee as Valencia remain stuck in relegation zone

Javier Aguirre said Valencia must improve their results rather than wait for 14 new signings after their defeat by Real Madrid, while insisting the club’s supporters deserve to see victories at Mestalla.

The loss extended Valencia’s poor run and meant they have still not won at home this season. The result leaves them in the relegation zone and increases the pressure on Aguirre, who said the team had to respond through hard work and greater bravery.

“I do feel the support of the fans, even though I do not use social media,” Aguirre told Spanish newspaper Marca. “They are enthusiastic and believe in me. They are passionate about their team and make things difficult for opponents. That is what I want to restore.”

He added: “I see some positive signs because the players are playing good football. The two home defeats are extremely painful because of the way they happened. The goals were psychologically difficult to overcome because they could have been avoided. I do not blame the players, but I cannot justify what happened.”

Valencia’s last home victory came in 2023, when Diego Lopez scored the winning goal. Aguirre said Mestalla was entitled to celebrate another success, having overseen three home matches himself.

“A victory would have been a major result and a great reward for us, but the opponent was superior,” he said. “We could not change the situation. That requires work, improvement and more courage.”

Valencia fell 2-0 behind and, although Aguirre felt there was a period when his side performed reasonably well, their attempts to recover failed.

“Real Madrid are ruthless, and that is what happened today,” he said. “We owe something to our supporters. They can see the effort we are making, but they do not see the same level of improvement, and they are not seeing the results they expect.”

Aguirre also said he had no knowledge of an alleged confrontation during half-time. He entered the dressing room first to calm down, and said he had been told afterwards that an incident had taken place.

“Perhaps the cameras will show what happened. I do not know,” he said. “Nobody told me anything during the break.”

The Valencia manager rejected the idea that his team had been unlucky against Real Madrid, saying the visitors deserved their victory. He praised his players for maintaining their composure and fighting spirit, but admitted the second goal had been a decisive blow.

“It would be easy to talk about the referee and win the fans’ approval,” Aguirre said. “I did say that if he awarded a foul for the first goal, he should have shown a red card. He looked at me and said nothing. That is all I can say about the refereeing.”

Valencia’s next listed fixture is against Tavernes de la Valldigna in the Copa del Rey on 10 November 2026. Their La Liga meeting with Real Madrid is listed for 21 November 2026, followed by a game against Celta Vigo.