Roig: “I would like our people to show their pride of belonging”

Fernando Roig (Valencia, 1947) is happy with the work done these weeks, recognizing that he is building “one of the best squads in history.” He keeps his feet on the ground, but “without giving up anything”, although he hopes to “show all the good things that are sensed on the field.” Although his obsession is “that people are by the side of the team in the season tickets”, that they show “their pride of being groguets”. To do this, it launches an aggressive campaign, with a “60% discount on the subscription price, with which to compensate for matches that cannot be seen live.”

He looks happy with how things are going.

I'm happy, I'm happy to see how things are going. Happy to prepare a very important team.

What a week of transfers, the CEO has closed …

We have closed a period of very good work by the CEO, things have been done very well, and at the moment we have three very high-level acquisitions. Two to cover the absence of two very important players in the club, such as Santi and Bruno, who were not at all easy to replace. I think we have signed two very good players like Coquelin and Parejo, joined by Take Kubo, from whom we expect a lot.

They are showing economic muscle to sign and sign well in times of crisis. How is that done?

We are looking for the best possible equipment, and we do it with an economic balance, which is what we always look for. We have maintained that balance for a long time, something that allows us to now face this type of operation.

Right now they have very young and very high level players for whom many teams yearn. Are they still a selling club?

We are not a sales team, we are not obsessed with it. If they come to buy from us and the conditions are good, we can do it. But this club is not in need of selling any player. We have no obligation to sell, which is what makes you feel bad, we are not in that situation. Therefore, right now we are not with the idea of ​​selling to any player.

Is this the best squad the club has ever had?

These three signings we have made, I think they are very good reinforcements to complement the good team we have. This is a time job, since we already have a great squad with very good players, a squad that has just had a great campaign. If you ask me, do I have the feeling that this is the best template or one of the best templates we've ever had.

And they are joined by Unai Emery. How do you rate this bet?

We have decided to bring a technician of a great level, a coach who arrives so that we can grow and have a great season. I don't have to introduce Unai.

Is the idea and the objective of this season still the same as always?

In this the first thing is to demonstrate in the field what is being said, this is not valid if you do not win it in the field. The first thing is to do those 45 points as soon as possible, and from there aspire to everything. This is not easy, it is not necessary to remember what happened to us as a Champions team. In this you should never lose humility and respect for your rivals. That does not mean that we give up anything, but in football you must always respect our rivals, and here there are many and very good.

Are you still not obsessed with the famous title?

It has never obsessed me. Of course I want to win, but I know it is very difficult. It is very difficult to achieve a title, since only one wins, and in Spain the level is very high. That does not mean that our idea is to be there, to be very close and fight for it. But success is being there, having been in first grade for twenty years, in Europe for seventeen years, and only three in second. That is the great prize, to be there, and if one day he plays, then he will play. But I am proud to be there, to have a club idea, a game idea in which we seek to be a team that plays well or tries to play good football. Having good facilities, having a great quarry, having young people and having good equipment from the quarry. And also being a healthy team, which can face a pandemic like this and be able to endure in this situation.

And the next step for the club in the face of this strange season, what is it?

Right now we are focused on the issue of season tickets, as we are going to present an aggressive campaign shortly so that fans can subscribe to the team despite this strange situation we are experiencing. The idea is that in this month of September, only in this month, the subscription can be renewed under very favorable conditions.

Can you explain those favorable conditions?

The first thing to say is that those who want to recover the part of their subscription from last year, of those six games, we will refund 30% of that subscription. And those who do not want to recover that part, we give them the option of taking out their season ticket for the entire League, Europa League and up to eighths of the Copa del Rey, with a discount of 60% of the price of last year. We do not raise prices, we add the entire Europa League, and if you do not recover the money from the previous year, we make a 60% discount on the current subscription.

But people right now don't seem like they're going to come in. How is that going to be solved?

We know that the most probable thing is that football will not start with an audience, we hope that this will not last long, and we hope that people can come in the final stretch of the year. Therefore, we discount that 60% of the subscription, which are the previous matches and those that cannot be seen now, to which we add the option that if the Covid issue is not solved, we would compensate it or seek a solution as we have always done. in the 21-22 campaign.

What you are asking is that the fan renew now and for this he launches a special and aggressive price?

What we want is for people to be by the side of the team, to be with us, to strengthen the club with that confidence. We try to get the fans to get that season ticket in September and show us that confidence, even if they don't know how many games they can lose. But as I said, we reinforce it with a good discount, and with the security of being able to be compensated for not being able to come to the field. Once September passes, we will know what can happen, we will launch an already focused campaign and in another way, with different prices.

You have always been sensitive to those who are not having a good time or at their best. Is there something thought for these people in crisis situation?

For those who are in a complicated situation and have been in ERTE at this time, the subscription discount will be 75%, just as we maintain our help to people who are unemployed and other discounts and assistance that we always have.

How do you live this situation without an audience and without your people in the stands?

Fans are very necessary, they are vital. We are aware that the club is nothing without the people, without our fans. I know that right now it is not easy, but what I would like is to see that people trust and support the club by becoming subscribers in this campaign.

What do you ask of your people?

Well, they take out the compost, they show their pride of belonging. They need to be there, it is vital that people show that they are with the team. And the reality is that without them this is not possible. The step that fans must take is to be with the team now. And our obligation is to work to have the best possible team and for them to return to the field as soon as possible.

How do you expect the season on the field?

I think we will have a better team than last year, something that has always been our goal. I think this may be the best squad, to which a great coach joins. But now we have to prove it on the field, which is where it really counts.