Jose Bordalas dedicated Valencia s victory over Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey semi-finals to the club s incredible fans.
A spectacular strike from Goncalo Guedes sealed a 1-0 win at Mestalla on Wednesday and a 2-1 aggregate triumph for Valencia, as they reached the final for the second time in four seasons.
Athletic, who had lost the past two finals, only managed a single shot on target in the match as the home side, roared on by the Mestalla crowd, kept them comfortably at bay.
Valencia have won just eight of 26 LaLiga games under Bordalas this season but will now face either Real Betis or Rayo Vallecano in the final for the chance to lift a trophy and qualify for the Europa League.
It s a feeling of enormous, incredible satisfaction, said the for…
Sergi Barjuan has urged Barcelona s players to add greater substance to their style as the stop-gap head coach pointed the way forward in the post-Ronald Koeman era.
The clash with Deportivo Alaves on Saturday may prove to be Sergi s only game as boss of the first team, with Barcelona eager to bring Xavi to the club.
Sergi s regular role is as coach to Barcelona B, and he has had precious little time with the senior stars since Koeman was dismissed on Wednesday, after a 1-0 defeat to Rayo Vallecano .
Barcelona head into the weekend in a lowly ninth position, nine points behind leaders Real Sociedad, albeit with one game in hand.
They have played the same number of games as Real Madrid, who sit six points clear of Barcelona and already have a Clasico wi…
Ecuador cannot blame coach Hernan Dario Gomez for their current crisis, according to Ecuadorian Football Federation (FEF) president Francisco Egas.
Gomez s side head into their Copa America clash with Chile on the back of a humbling 4-0 defeat to Uruguay in their opening Group C match.
Ecuador are now without a win in their past five matches under Gomez, who took charge for his second spell in August 2018.
Two-time defending champions Chile, meanwhile, started their campaign in style, cruising to an emphatic 4-0 victory over Japan.
But FEF boss Egas has defended Gomez, insisting that pinning the blame on the coach would only be ignoring the wider issues that Ecuador currently face.
We are not understanding the reality of our football and that …
Manchester City defender Eliaquim Mangala has joined Valencia on a two-year deal.
The financial terms of the transfer have not been disclosed.
A brief statement issued by Valencia read: Valencia CF has reached an agreement with Eliaquim Mangala, whereby the French defender will become a Valencian player until June 30, 2021.
Valencia begin their LaLiga campaign at home to Real Sociedad on Saturday.
Mangala joined City from Porto in August 2014 in a deal worth in the region of £42million, only for a succession of error-strewn displays to prevent him from becoming a regular first-team fixture under Manuel Pellegrini.
The 28-year-old returns to Mestalla, where he spent the 2016-17 campaign on loan before an unlikely and brief first-team return durin…
According to Marca, Real Madrid could be moving a step closer towards securing a move for Thibaut Courtois in the wake of his phenomenal displays at the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The Belgian, who currently plays for Chelsea, is considered to be one of the brightest young goalkeepers in world football right now at the age of just 26. At 6 ft 6 he s one of the most imposing figures in European football, which, as you d expect, is an attribute that has drawn the attention of many high profile clubs throughout the continent.
The proposed fee is believed to be around €35 million which, in today s market, can be considered relatively cheap in comparison to some of the other prices that have been thrown around in the past. Courtois has been on the books with Chelsea since way back in 201…
Europa League holders Sevilla have announced the signing of Cameroonian goalkeeper Fabrice Ondoa from Gimnastic Tarragona on their official website.
The 20-year-old only signed a three-year deal with the Segunda Division club last January as he left Barcelona, but he is again on the move.
After struggling for playing time at Gimnastic, Ondoa joins Sevilla on a season-long loan with an option to buy, and he will spend some time playing for Sevilla II in the second division.
The talented shot-stopper had begun his youth career in the Samuel Eto’o academy and he moved to Barcelona in 2009.
He spent a total of three seasons playing for the reserves, but never made a single competitive appearance and eventually decided to leave the club.
Despite his…
Manchester United continue to struggle for form under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and their failings are never more obvious than in routinely underwhelming performances in Premier League away games.
A quick glance at the club s top-flight record outside Old Trafford since a 3-1 win at Crystal Palace on February 27 shows four defeats, three draws and zero victories.
Their homesickness would be of less concern were results gained with any ease in Manchester but cannot be overlooked if the top four is to be a realistic aim.
Ahead of Sunday s excursion to struggling Newcastle United, where Solskjaer s men have an ideal opportunity to stop the rot, we analyse the Opta data behind United s wretched run on the road.
TRAILING ALL BUT SPURS IN PAST SEVEN
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According to reports in France, Paris Saint-Germain are still interested in signing Alex Sandro from Juventus. Sandro, who s current deal is set to expire in 2020, has not been offered a new contract with the Italian champions, potentially indicating that The Old Lady are planning ahead for life without him. PSG, on the other hand, are the favourites to sign him courtesy of the fact that their sporting director was the man who brought him to Porto back in 2011.
The 27 year old is moving into the prime of his career as a left back, and is still one of the best defenders in Europe. PSG, on the other hand, have been struggling to attract many top names as of late, as they desperately attempt to keep pace with the top clubs in Europe. One way or the other, this potential deal proba…
Real Madrid have reportedly pivoted away from Borussia Dortmund s Jude Bellingham and are now treating Benfica s Enzo Fernandez as their top transfer target.
Bellingham, 19, was considered the top priority for the Spanish giants, but a report from Marca claims they now believe he is destined for the Premier League and will instead focus their resources on 21-year-old Fernandez.
Fernandez arrived at Benfica in June after they were able to pry him away from River Plate for a deal worth up to €18million including add-ons, but his exploits on the Champions League stage – including assists against Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus – have that price looking like a steal.
TOP STORY – REAL MADRID SET THEIR SIGHTS ON ARGENTINA S NEW STAR
Fernandez was hande…
Cesc Fabregas has revealed that Arsenal did not make a move to re-sign him before he moved to Chelsea, according to the Metro.
The Spain international began his playing career with the Gunners, spending eight years playing under Arsene Wenger helping them to success in the FA Cup while he also played in the 2006 Champions League final defeat to Barcelona, the team where he spent six years at as a child.
He signed for Barca in 2011 and played for them over one hundred and fifty times, winning the La Liga title and Spanish Cup along the way.
Arsenal had first refusal on Fabregas when the Catalan club decided to sell but did not take the opportunity leading to him eventually signing for Chelsea.
He has won two Premier League titles and the League Cup wi…