The debate unfolded during a popular football show, FĂștbol Total, where the spotlight was firmly on Valenciaâs upcoming fixtures: a high-stakes La Liga clash with Barcelona at the Mestalla, followed by the Copa del Rey final against Athletic Bilbao.
The central question? Should Valencia go all-out against Barcelona or prioritize resting players for the Copa del Rey final against Athletic Bilbao?
Pundit 1: Raul GĂłmez
"Look, Valencia canât afford to back down against Barcelona, especially at the Mestalla. Itâs not just about three points; itâs about momentum, belief, and showing they can compete with the very best.
Resting players before the final sends the wrong message to the squad and the fans. What if you rest players and still lose the final?
Then youâve lost everything. Play your strongest XI against Barcelona, build confidence, and carry that into the final. Big teams play to win every game!"
Pundit 2: Carlos Sanz
"Raul, thatâs idealistic but reckless. The Copa del Rey final is Valenciaâs best chance to win silverware this season.
Athletic Bilbao is a strong team, and Valencia will need their key players fresh. Barcelona is a tough opponentâplaying full strength against them risks injuries or fatigue ahead of the final.
You have to be pragmatic. Rotate the squad against Barcelona, focus on the cup final, and give your players the best chance to lift that trophy."
Pundit 3: Andrea Molina
"I understand both perspectives, but why does it have to be one or the other? Valencia can field a mix of starters and bench players against Barcelona.
Keep key players like Izan and GayĂ in for the first hour to stabilize the game, then sub them off if things are under control.
Itâs about smart management. You canât completely sacrifice a league game, especially against Barcelona, but you canât risk the final either. Balance is the key."
The debate spilled over onto social media, with Valencia fans passionately weighing in.
"You donât rest players against Barcelona at the Mestalla. Itâs an insult to the fans who show up for these big games!"
"Momentum matters! If we beat Barcelona, itâll give us confidence for the final. We need to keep fighting on all fronts."
"The final is the priority. A trophy is more important than three points against Barcelona. Rest Izan, GayĂ , and the others!"
"Weâve waited years for silverware. Donât risk it for one league game. Prioritize the final, no question."
"Why canât we play a mix? Start Izan but sub him out early. Same with GayĂ . Protect them but donât give up the game."
"We need to trust Baraja to manage the squad properly. He knows whatâs at stake."
As the debate raged on, the host of FĂștbol Total posed a final question to the panel:
"At the end of the day, Valencia fans want bothâresults against Barcelona and the Copa trophy. But if you had to choose, what would be more important for Valencia right now?
Three points to boost their league campaign, or bringing home the Copa del Rey?"
The camera panned to each pundit as they gave their final thoughts.
Raul GĂłmez: "The leagueâitâs the backbone of the season. You donât abandon it."
Carlos Sanz: "The Copaâitâs a tangible reward for the fans and the club."
Andrea Molina: "Both are important, but the Copa is history in the making. That has to come first."
The show cut to a commercial, but the debate was far from over. Fans across Valencia continued to argue, knowing that the next two games could define their entire season.
Meanwhile, all eyes were on Rubén Baraja, who now faced one of the most difficult decisions of his managerial career.
...âŠ
RubĂ©n Baraja sat alone in his office at Valenciaâs training ground, the light from his desk lamp casting long shadows on the walls.
The evening had been quiet until the phone call came. The clubâs board representative delivered the message in no uncertain terms:
"RubĂ©n, the Copa del Rey is the priority. We need that trophyâitâs been too long. The game against Barcelona is important, of course, but we cannot risk our best players ahead of the final. Find a balance, but donât jeopardize the final."
Baraja leaned back in his chair after hanging up, his mind racing. He had expected the conversation but still felt the weight of the directive pressing down on him.
As much as he valued the boardâs input, he knew this decision wasnât just about strategyâit was about the identity of Valencia CF, the fans, and his belief in what his team could achieve.
He stared at the tactical board in front of him, which displayed his lineup options. On one side, the full-strength XI stood bold and confident, featuring Izan, GayĂ , Almeida, and Hugo Duro.
On the other side, a rotated squad was pinned, with key players either rested or set to start on the bench.
Baraja muttered to himself, "Do I pull back against Barcelona? At the Mestalla? With 45,000 fans chanting our name? What message does that send to the players? To Izan, who thrives on challenges like these?"
He knew the fans wouldnât take kindly to fielding a weakened side against Barcelona. The Mestalla was a fortress, and the pride of Valencia demanded they fight, no matter the opponent.
But the Copa final against Athletic Bilbao was tantalizingly closeâa chance to end the trophy drought and etch this teamâs name into the clubâs history.
Baraja stood up and began pacing the room, weighing his options. After a few moments, he returned to the tactical board, picked up a marker, and started scribbling changes.
"We keep Izan in," he decided aloud. "But we manage his minutes. GayĂ startsâwe need his leadershipâbut weâll sub him off if the game drags. Almeida and Hugo Duro⊠theyâll rotate in depending on how the match unfolds."
He stepped back and surveyed the adjusted lineup. It wasnât full strength, but it wasnât surrender, either. It was a calculated risk.
...
The next morning, Baraja gathered his coaching staff in the briefing room. The atmosphere was tense as they waited to hear his decision.
"Hereâs the plan," Baraja began, pointing to the board. "Weâre going to balance this. The board wants us to prioritize the Copa final, and we will.
But weâre not rolling over for Barcelona. Weâll field a mix of starters and reserves. Izan will play, but I want him off after 60 minutes if the situation allows or heâll come off the bench.
GayĂ starts, but weâll rotate him, too. Weâll fight to stay in the game and, if the opportunity comes, weâll go for it. This isnât about giving upâthis is about being smart."
The staff nodded, some looking relieved, others still processing the challenge of facing Barcelona without going full throttle.
"One more thing," Baraja added. "Make sure the players know this is not a step back. This is about making every moment count, whether itâs Barcelona or the Copa final. They need to be sharp, focused, and ready to adapt."
The staff nodded at Barajaâs last words before they dispersed to fulfill their various activities.
...âŠ
The Valencia squadâs WhatsApp group was usually filled with lighthearted banterâjokes, memes, and the occasional complaint about training.
But with the matches against Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao looming, the mood had shifted. The players were buzzing with speculation about what RubĂ©n Barajaâs plan would be.
JosĂ© GayĂ : "Alright, boys, who wants to bet Baraja starts rotating the squad against Barça? You know the boardâs probably breathing down his neck about the Copa."
Izan: "If he rotates, heâs definitely keeping me in. Canât risk taking a break when weâre up against Barcelona. Thatâs the game where I shine."
Hugo Duro: "Oh, come on, Izan. We know you love playing against the big teams, but what about the final? You want to limp into it because Barçaâs midfield decided to smash your legs for 90 minutes?"
AndrĂ© Almeida: "True. Those guys donât hold back, especially when they know how important you are to us. I wouldnât mind sitting this one out a bit if it means going full gas in the final."
Pietro: "Come on, AndrĂ©. Itâs Barcelona! Who doesnât want to play against them? I donât care if I have to run myself into the ground, I want to be out there at the Mestalla."
GayĂ : "We all do, but letâs not kid ourselves. The Copa is our biggest shot at a trophy. We win that, and we make history. The board knows it, and Baraja knows it too."
Izan: "But what about the fans, though? Imagine rotating against Barça at home. The Mestalla will go crazy if we donât show up with everything weâve got."
Hugo GuillamĂłn: "Heâs got a point. The fans wonât forgive us if we donât at least try to beat Barcelona. They see that game as just as important as the final."
Javi Guerra: "Yeah, but theyâll forgive us if we win the Copa. Lose the final and theyâll forget whatever happened against Barcelona. Itâs about the trophy, man."
Cenk Ăzkacar: "Hereâs the real questionâdo we think Baraja will try to balance both? A mixed lineup maybe? Rotate some of us but keep the core guys in?"
GayĂ : "Heâs probably thinking about that right now. You know how he is. Heâll want us to stay competitive but protect the players he knows heâll need against Athletic."
Thierry Correia: "Okay, but what if he rests Izan? Think about it: no crazy flicks, no dribbles, no risky runs into three defenders. What will we even do with the ball?"
Izan: "Haha, very funny, Thierry. Iâll make sure to nutmeg you in training tomorrow for that one."
GayĂ : "Settle down, kids. Letâs focus. No nutmegs until after we beat Barcelona and Bilbao."
With the tension a bit reduced, the players readied themselves for the preparations ahead.
A/n: sorry guys for the late releases. My lectures have been a bit awkwardly placed so Iâm suffering but there will be changes soon