Valencia winger Luis Rioja spoke to the media after training, looking ahead to their upcoming La Liga match against his former club Alaves. The Spanish player played for the Basque side for five years and served as captain.  

When discussing the topic of contract renewal with Valencia, Luis Rioja said that he is currently more focused on his performance on the field rather than contract issues. He said: "Of course I hope to renew my contract, but now my focus is completely on the game. The team is in a crucial period and we must give our all. If the contract renewal is destined, I will be happy to stay. I am proud to play for such a great club as Valencia."  

In response to the controversial remarks made by coach Carlos Corberán, Valencia winger Luis Rioja said that the relevant remarks were only based on tactical analysis and were not what the outside world understood.  

He said: "I don't think the content conveyed by the media is accurate. In fact, what is more concerning is that people mistakenly think that the coach is criticizing us. But from the perspective of communication, negative news tends to attract more attention."  

"Whether at halftime or after the game, what he told me was consistent – purely tactical analysis, involving the players' positioning and movements with the ball. He later went out of his way to explain what he meant, and we didn't think there was any misunderstanding at all. Everyone in the dressing room understood that he was just giving detailed technical comments, some of which were more in-depth than what was reported in the media, which is why there was some misunderstanding."  

Luis Rioja admitted that the team is currently in a critical period of transition. With the arrival of several new players, the team needs time to integrate, but the intense pace of La Liga competition does not allow for slow play. He said: "We have some new players, which means we have to go through an adaptation period. But in La Liga, you don't have a lot of time to adapt slowly . We must perform quickly and understand the coach's tactical system as soon as possible. As the season progresses, our understanding will gradually improve, and so will our overall level. I believe we have a squad with the strength and potential to have a great season."  

When discussing the next goals, Luis Rioja made it clear that the team is currently focused on winning each game one by one. He said: "Our first goal is to beat Alaves in Mendizorroza, and then beat Villarreal. We hope to get as many points as possible. In La Liga, it is difficult to set long-term goals in advance because the league will tell you the team's true position as the game progresses."  

"When I first arrived, I knew that representing Valencia meant responsibility and dedication. No matter what the goal is, we must go all out and not relax every day and every game. Setting short-term goals and gradually achieving them will make it possible to achieve bigger goals at the end of the season. Our problem is the lack of continuity. We must be more aware that the game is 90 minutes. We need to extend the team's efficient performance time as much as possible and strive to win three points."  

When asked about the details of his contract, he confirmed that it does include relevant clauses. He admitted, "There are indeed some stipulations in the contract, but I won't reveal the specific matches, nor do I want to dwell on them. I'm solely focused on the game itself, enjoying every moment on the field and my time at the club. I'm willing to automatically renew my contract, or cooperate with any other arrangements made by the club. I feel very fulfilled here. If there was one thing that stood out most about the team last year, it was the unity in the locker room. This year, we've maintained that atmosphere, with harmony within the team, no conflicts, and everyone working together as one."  

"We need to improve our defense of set pieces. They cost us three points against Espanyol and affected the result against Oviedo. They also cost us just one point against Girona. Although we have a strong attacking performance, our defense of set pieces is still weak and we are actively working on improving it."  

"We are not satisfied with our current ranking and the team still has a lot of room for improvement. We should have scored more points and we are eager to keep growing. The competition in La Liga is very fierce and our performance at the beginning of the season was not ideal. The players will go all out to try to turn the situation around and achieve better results."  

Finally, Luis Rioja highly praised the coaching ability and leadership of coach Carlos Corberán, believing him to be the perfect person to lead the team out of its slump. He said, "We fully support him. The situation was very challenging when he took over last year. Everyone thinks he is the ideal coach. We have a good relationship with him and will do our best to make this project a success. We must dare to dream and enjoy every game."