Rayo Vallecano Coach Paco Jemez has defended a trio of his players against the suggestion that they deliberately got booked last weekend.
Jose Manuel Casado, Javi Fuego and Leo Baptistao were all cautioned during Rayo’s 2-0 win over Espanyol on Saturday and are now all suspended for next week’s trip to Barcelona.
There has been the suggestion in some quarters that the trio deliberately picked up yellow cards to invoke the automatic suspension so as to skip the difficult trip and wipe clear the risk of suspension for later games.
“I want to make it very clear that I will not allow anyone to doubt the professionalism of my players,” declared Jemez in a statement released on the club’s official website.
“And that is not Leo, nor Casado, nor Javi Fuego have looked to clear their cards in the game as I have heard in some places.
“All my players are great professionals, as they have demonstrated through the year, and are giving their all training after training, game after game, for this team.
“Moreover, everything that happens on the pitch is solely my responsibility and that disclaims any responsibility for any player of any kind.
“I also want to make clear that we will go to the Camp Nou [next weekend, without the suspended trio] to play for the three points and to compete in the game at full intensity, as we always do.
“Previously we have had players missing and have given our all. This team never gives anything up as lost, we have players with the utmost commitment and maximum guarantees.
“Nobody should think that Rayo will give anything up and anywhere, be that at the Camp Nou against Barcelona or anywhere else. We win or lose, but no-one will doubt Rayo, before or after the game.”
