Valencia duo Roberto Soldado and Juan Manuel Mata apologised to supporters following their side's humiliating 6-3 home loss to Real Madrid at the Mestalla last night.
Los Che trailed 4-0 at the break and 6-1 just after the hour as Real, despite starting with only two of Wednesday's Copa del Rey-winning line-up, ran rampant to become the first team ever to score six times against Valencia on their home turf in the league.
Valencia netted two late consolation goals to add a little more respectability to the scoreline, but that was only after the points were already long gone.
The Valencia fans, whose side are third in the table but could see their lead over fourth-placed Villarreal trimmed to three points later today, did not hide their anger and Soldado admits he understands their frustrations.
It was a day we need to apologise for, because to be 4-0 behind at half-time you have to have done very badly.
Juan Mata, Valencia captain
"We want to say sorry to them for the first 45 minutes, we were ashamed on the pitch, but in the end they are three points and we need to continue fighting for our objective [third place] because we depend on ourselves," Soldado told SuperDeporte.
"I think we lacked unity on the pitch, we had spoken of intensity and of unity and we didn't achieve either of those things. They've got in behind us almost every time and that's where the goal came from.
"We spoke about it and we weren't able to counteract it. The first half was very tough, that's the image that we don't want to give of ourselves."
Valencia captain Mata, who like Soldado was on Real's books as a youngster, added in AS: "Although it's [only] three points and we are still on track with our objective, it was a very bad day for everyone because the fans did not deserve that and it was a day we need to apologise for, because to be 4-0 behind at half-time you have to have done very badly."