Tavernes sticks to its routine ahead of the big night at Mestalla

“We meet at half past five at Bar Avenida, have a coffee and head to Mestalla.” Edu Palomares, Tavernes’ coach, sums up his team’s departure for the occasion. The bar, on the way out of Tavernes de la Valldigna, is the group’s usual meeting point before away trips. This time, the team will gather there again, but there will be no picking up players along the route: everyone has been told to meet at the same place.

“Normally, if we can pick up a player on the way, we do. But for this match, I asked everyone to come together,” explains Palomares, known as Tomaca. The departure is earlier than usual because getting into Valencia could be difficult and traffic is uncertain. “That’s up to the club,” he adds, before summing up the team’s mood: “With excitement, off to Mestalla.”

The schedule has also shaped the preparation. Until Friday morning, the team did not know whether its Liga match against Rayo Ibense would go ahead; it was postponed to allow for the required rest period. Palomares says the group had first planned for a normal week of competition, then turned its attention to the day involving Valencia, which was already being prepared.

The coach, back in charge for three weeks in an effort to move Tavernes away from the relegation zone in Lliga Comunitat, says he used the period to watch more football and prepare the team. He has everyone available, despite some players carrying knocks this week. “With a match like this, any pain should soon go away,” he jokes.

His message to the players is straightforward: enjoy the experience, play with enthusiasm and keep moving forward whatever happens. Above all, he does not want nerves to stop them from being involved in the game against a top-division side. Palomares acknowledges the challenge: the opposition’s players are professionals, but, he believes, enthusiasm can help his team compete in a different way. The plan is to keep the score level for as long as possible and wait for chances. The starting eleven will be revealed in the dressing room, an hour before the match.

For Tavernes, the match is already a reward, especially for the club’s younger and older members. Two weeks earlier, Palomares thought he would have to start his day at seven in the morning at the cleaning company in his village, where he works as a driver, before heading to Mestalla after his shift. He was eventually given the day off. His first stop, though, will be to drive his daughter to university because a train strike will make the journey difficult. The football appointment comes afterwards, with Palomares hoping, he says, that the village empties out to support the team.