Out in the cold
Last updated: 8th February 2008
Valencia captain David Albelda explained to Revista de la Liga why he is filing a lawsuit against the club he loves.
Valencia boss Ronald Koeman stunned everybody in Spanish football six weeks ago when he announced he was kicking three of the club's biggest stars out of the squad.
Albelda, Santiago Canizares and Miguel Angulo were all told they had played their last game for the club and the issue has still not been resolved, prompting Albelda to take up legal action to protect his future.
And the Spain international midfielder insists he has not received an explanation as to why he has been frozen out.
He told Revista: "It is an unpleasant situation. The speed at which everything changed made it very hard.
"It was as if everything changed overnight. I was separated from the team that I have played for all my life, since I was 15. This club means a great deal to me.
"I was told face to face in an office with Koeman. He told me that the decision had been made for sporting reasons. I asked him what they were and he told me that he did not want to argue.
"I did not consider it to be an argument. I simply wanted to know why the decision had been taken. Today a month after that meeting took place I still do not know.
"I still do not understand why this is happening. Nobody has given a clear explanation why I have been frozen out. "
Psychological war
Albelda accepts that the club have a right to change their direction, but he feels a "psychological war" is being waged after he was forced to train with the reserves.
He continued: "I know that the decision was not taken solely for sporting reasons. There has to be something else behind all this.
"Having seen the club's statements it is clear that Koeman and the President Juan Soler came to a mutual agreement.
"It is like a psychological war. Two days before a game the coach calls his team together to prepare for a match.
"This means that when there are midweek Copa Del Rey matches we only train once a week with the other players, and because the first team have a different schedule we train with the reserves.
"There is a heavy atmosphere at training, the conditions are far from ideal."
Albelda feels his treatment goes against local labour laws and feels legal action is the only way to resolve to issue.
He added: "We have presented a lawsuit because after having tried to talk things through with the club they have not given me any solution to the problem, they have not shown any willing to sit down and negotiate.
"The only way to move things on and actually sit down to talks with the club has been to present a lawsuit.
"I hope that the result of this will be that the situation is resolved soon. I am going to defend my rights. I am fighting those who made this decision, sadly they are the people running the club. I am not fighting my club I am fighting them."
Future
Albelda has been linked with a move to Manchester City to achieve first-team football and cement his place in Spain's' Euro 2008 team, but he insists a transfer is unlikely because his priority is to resolve his future.
He said: "So far I have not listened to any offers because I have to resolve this situation first. If a club were to enquire as to my position I would have to answer that I don't know when I am going to be able to play for another club.
"What I want to do is play football. I would have liked to finish up here. I renewed my contract not long ago with that in mind. I am very happy here. This is my home and the fans are fond of me.
I think that the club are using my place in the national team to try and pressure me. I could leave the club on loan and lose everything. I would play in Euro 2008, but in June I would find myself back here in exactly the same position.
"So what I have to do now is resolve my future and sadly if I do not make it to Euro 2008 then it will be a great shame, but the priority is for me is to know where I will be playing over the next few seasons."
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