La Liga coaches voice concerns over matches played following Valencia floods

Several managers from Spain’s La Liga have expressed the view that this weekend’s matches in the top football division should have been called off, following severe flooding in Valencia that has resulted in at least 211 fatalities. In response to the disaster, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has deployed 10,000 troops and police to assist with recovery operations in the affected region. The floods, which occurred on Monday, were caused by torrential rain across the Valencia region, leading to destroyed bridges, towns submerged in mud, and communities isolated without access to water, food, or electricity. Prime Minister Sanchez has indicated that the death toll is anticipated to increase. The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) postponed two fixtures: Real Madrid’s away game against Valencia and Rayo Vallecano’s visit to Villarreal. However, Atletico Madrid’s home match against Las Palmas is scheduled to proceed at 13:00 GMT on Sunday, a decision that prompted manager Diego Simeone to criticize the RFEF during his pre-match press conference. “It doesn’t make any sense,” Simeone stated. “What is happening is very hard. The people who went out into the street to help, who with a shovel and their tools try to collaborate, that speaks very well of the country, of the people, and we want to help where we can.” He added, “There are people having a very bad time, it is very sad and they tell us to carry on and here we are, carrying on.” Barcelona’s coach, Hansi Flick, expressed similar sentiments ahead of Sunday’s 15:15 GMT match against local rivals Espanyol. “If it were me, I might do it [suspend sport] because it is an incredible tragedy for Valencia and Spain as a whole,” Flick commented. “We have spoken with [Barcelona attacker] Ferran [Torres], who is from the area, and it is not easy to decide whether the game should be played or not.” He continued, “For me it is a tragedy. It was something similar in Germany three years ago, it is horrible. We will do everything we can to help. The rest is for La Liga to decide.” Following Girona’s 4-3 victory over Leganes on Saturday, manager Michel conceded that it was challenging to find any satisfaction in the outcome. “I wasn’t upset, but we shouldn’t celebrate anything since this match shouldn’t have been played,” Michel stated. Girona’s Miguel Gutierrez, who scored the opening goal, displayed a shirt bearing the message “Forca Valencia” as a gesture of support for the region. “The first shirt I lifted was for my friend Enrique, whose mother is missing. She was swept away by the current, and they’re still trying to find her,” Gutierrez explained. He added, “I believe the match takes a backseat. Aside from Madrid, the city I’ve spent the most time in where I have the most friends and connections is Valencia.” Gutierrez concluded, “I can assure you that I’ve seen videos and been on video calls with friends and it’s a complete disaster, an absolute nightmare.”