Osasuna coach Vicente Moreno summed up the profound impact of storm Dana on Valencia more than anyone else.
The 50-year-old who is from Masanasa in Valencia broke down in tears as the death count from the devastating storm continued to increase well over the 200-person mark.
Speaking before his Basque side face Real Valladolid, he began crying and said: “I don’t know if I’ll be able to talk.
“I wanted to send all my encouragement and solidarity to all the people who have been affected by this disaster. To the people who have lost loved ones.
“Please allow me to say a few words, especially for my land, for Valencia. To all the Valencians and to all the people who are not Valencian but live in Valencia. It is very hard for them, but for those of us who are far away and have family, friends, neighbours, and children there… it is also very hard not to be able to be there with them.
“It’s been very difficult for me, but I also wanted to thank the Osasuna family who from the first second have sent a tonne of food to Valencia and have been in contact with the mayor of my town.”
He finished by saying: “Tomorrow’s match is important for me so that I can dedicate it to all those people,” but that wasn’t the feeling of everyone.
Vicente Iborra of Valencian side Levante was angry that he had to stop helping to play in LaLiga.
He said: “Those who decide to play should be asked why the competition is not stopped. I think it is difficult to go to a stadium to celebrate a goal or be happy when just a few metres away there are people who need help and are having a hard time.
“Why are you going to celebrate in a stadium when there is so much misfortune? In the end this shows you that we are merchandise in the world of sport. We could be giving a lesson in humanity and we are not giving it.”
Rayo Vallecano’s Isi Palazon backed up those comments by saying: “If it were up to us, perhaps we should have agreed to postpone the matchday throughout Spain.”
Alaves’ Luis García Plaza was just as annoyed after his side’s victory over Mallorca on Friday night.
“We won, but we shouldn’t have played this match with everything that is happening,” he said. “There is no way to get a grip on this decision.”
Diego Simeone and Hansi Flick later also said that the weekend’s games shouldn’t be played, showing just how unpopular the decision was.
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