Valencia manager Ruben Baraja was not concerned about sparing Rafa Mir‘s feelings this week, as he continues to come in for heat from the club. Earlier this week midfielder Pepelu told the media that Mir’s behaviour was not acceptable, and his manager Baraja has backed him up.
Mir has been accused of an alleged sexual assault, although he defends his innocence. Los Che were able to punish him for breaking team curfew, but clearly there is little they can do about the allegations, as they are unproven.
Baraja explained the disciplinary process though.
“It is important to explain things. Our fans have to know what happened and how we acted. There are two moments, when the Rafa episode happens and the club has to evaluate the decision it must make. It is a club decision in which I should not participate, because my task is in the sporting area. The club decides to reinstate him. And that’s where I come in, I have to assess the consequence of this situation,” he told Marca.
“The decision is made that he will be out for two games, this week training separately and next week he will join again. From there, he will be just another member of the squad and I will decide if he plays or not. It is very difficult to make a even-handed decision that everyone may like, you have to do things with common sense. He apologises to the squad, understands that his way of acting is not appropriate and accepts the punishment. As a coach, I decide that an act of indiscipline has consequences and this should lead us to understand that a person can make a mistake and on any given day not do things well, and have a second chance.”
Baraja was also asked about Pepelu’s words, and assumed responsibility for bringing in Mir. He has had a turbulent time at Sevilla over the last few years, and just weeks into his return to Mestalla, Baraja told the media he was a great disappointment.
“It’s simple. Pepelu is an authoritative voice in the dressing room. I am one hundred percent behind his opinion. There are things that cannot be done. Not because the team has not started well but because we carry a badge on our chest and we cannot do certain types of things. The dressing room knows that he is a player that we may need this season. On this path, there is great disappointment on my part.”
“I have to digest that this summer [I brought him in], and I believed that Rafa [Mir] could be decisive. Rafa has been a great disappointment for me, but I have told him that this has to make him realise where he is and how things have to be done, at least while I am here.”
After a tough start to the season that has Valencia at the bottom of the table, the scandal surrounding Mir is an unwanted distraction for Baraja. Clearly the football is not the most important aspect of the events too, but it’s a tricky matter for Valencia to handle.
