Barely 24 hours after taking the reins following Carlos Corberán's dismissal, Sánchez watched his side grind out a first league win of the season in one of the toughest atmospheres in Spanish football. The head coach praised his players' capacity to suffer and compete both with and without the ball, while singling out academy product Andrés Mayol for a strong senior debut in midfield.
"A lot of happiness. It's the dream debut, but more than being happy for myself, I'm happy for the Valencia fans, who have been suffering, and for the players, who don't want to be in this situation," Sánchez said.
"What matters personally is in the background right now, and I'm very happy for the fans and, above all, for the players."
Asked what pleased him most, Sánchez pointed to his side's resilience in a hostile away atmosphere.
"In the moments when Alavés stressed us and dragged us into their direct game, we knew how to suffer and defend very well," he said. "We also had the personality to keep the ball and attack. We created plenty of chances, and I'm very happy with the effort. You saw a recognisable team, which is what I wanted to see and what Valencia's fans want to see - a team that fights for every ball and plays at a high tempo."
On Mayol's introduction, Sánchez said he had long trusted the youngster to deliver when called upon.
"I have a lot of faith in Mayol, I believe in him. He's earned it and he's ready, as he showed today," Sánchez said. "The hard part isn't debuting, it's giving continuity to the process."
Rioja, who scored the winner despite carrying a knock, and Guido, who was withdrawn as a precaution, both drew praise for playing through discomfort.
"Guido has simply taken a knock, a stud in the foot. He was coming back from injury and it wasn't advisable for him to play more than 60 or 70 minutes," Sánchez said.
Alavés coach Quique Sánchez Flores conceded his side had been caught out by the surprise factor of facing a new manager.
"In the first 15 minutes it was hard for us to adjust to Javi Guerra's position within their midfield diamond," he said. "We didn't know how they would set up. From the 15th minute we flowed the same as Valencia did."
He felt his team had done enough for a point: "We deserved to take something from it. The goal was a moment of quality from Javi Guerra, finished off by Rioja, who was a level above out here in Vitoria."