Rodrigo de Paul made an impressive cameo appearance against Levante this past Sunday, but he and his Valencia CF teammates were unfortunately on the losing end of the equation. He spoke about the result and the forthcoming match against FC Barcelona.

"The game against Barcelona is a test of character for us, to get back to the team that we really are,” said the Argentine. “It hurt us a lot to lose the derby and we have to turn this situation around, because Barcelona are a team who need to be given a lot of attention.”

De Paul explained the demands placed on the side, and showed his determination to help VCF get a good result against one of the high-flying teams in La Liga.



"Valencia are always required to win. It’s a big club. We will go for it against Barça. We didn’t deserve to lose against Levante and when things turn out like that, you have to show your character,”

"Whenever we don’t take the three points, it counts as a chance lost. In order to get into the Champions League we need to keep up a very high level.”

VCF manager Nuno took the players to one side in Monday’s training session, and De Paul revealed the content of the Portuguese’s chat:

"The manager told us what he saw from the sidelines. You see things more clearly there. He told us how the game seemed to him. We chatted and everyone did a bit of self-analysis.”

Finally, he emphasised that he is not looking for a move away from the club, despite not enjoying an abundance of playing time so far:

"I’ve only been here for a few months. I am happy, we have a good group here and we work hard. I am always fighting to get a place in the team, but I remain calm.”