Nor is there most favorable momentand so that the nostalgia that the one happens to a loss. The Valencianism is still recovering from Cup final defeat in Seville and remember – whoever has the age and memory for both – this May 5thto achievement of his first league in color, that of the 2001-02 season.
Was the first of the coach Rafa Benítez, the league of fan and the wig of the eternal President Jaime Orti, that of a seasoned team with a perfect mix of youth, experience and ambition. That’s why it was also Comeback League. A comeback in Montjuic (with 2-0 down) saved the head coachin December, when the council had doubts about the risky election after the two Champions League finals with Cúper. a comeback of seven points to Real Madrid, after two losses in a row (Madrid, with controversy, and Valladolid in Mestalla) and one comeback in key game in the month of april in Mestalla, before the Spanishwith one less player, to leave the championship on a platter.
It’s not easy to choose a protagonist that symbolizes that League: Deck of cardsafter overcoming an injury that kept him out of action until December, he scored seven goals – Pichichi of the team – all decisive. Canizares he was the goalkeeper with the fewest goals and achieved his second Zamora. Rufete signed a doublet in the vital December match in Montjuic and scored in La Romareda to put Valencia leader in early march before almost 3,000 Valencianistas who believed that it was possible.
It is logical to identify Rafa Benítez as true architect of the change of mentality, more in the fans than in the squad itself. The Madrid coach summoned a press conference in January -four points behind the leader- to ask for the fan support because I saw chances of winning the league. Captains had spoken about it before and they agreed that he would say it in a public appearance specifically convened for it: “We think that I had lost my mind”Baraja explained.
two blows
Although now remember that Valencia as an almost invincible team, especially after the comeback in the second round. But he had to Overcome two blows at a key moment. In the day 30 the team lost in Vallecasafter suffering a comeback after taking the lead Angle before the Lightning. He lost the lead to the real Madrid and, three days later, fell eliminated in the quarterfinals of the UEFA Cup against Inter in a controversial party in Mestalla.
But since that loss in Vallecas, chained seven wins and one draw that they allowed him celebrate the league with a day in advance. Valencia won the league 31 years after his previous degree in 1971 Y cemented the legend of a team that had chained a title of Cup Y two Champions League finals and that it had not reached the ceiling.
