La Liga Review

La Liga News: Koeman Sacked At Valencia

After 22 games in charge - four wins, six draws and 12 defeats - Ronald Koeman has been put out of his misery and sacked as manager of Valencia: Spanish football's most turbulent club...

Liga Match Preview: Valencia - Racing Santander

Valencia's league position means that they cannot afford to be distracted by next Wednesday's Copa del Rey final as they prepare to face Racing Santander on Saturday evening...

Mestalla Madness

La Liga Review looks back over the past seven days in Spanish Football's most infamous soap opera: Mestalla Street. As Koeman says 'I haven't got the support of all 25, maybe five of them...'

Copa Del Rey Semi Final Result: Valencia 3 Barcelona 1

Match Report

Valencia have secured a place in the Copa del Rey final after a thrilling 3-2 win over Barcelona at the Mestalla this evening. The home side finished 4-3 aggregate winners and will play Getafe in the April final of Spain's domestic cup competition.

Valencia - Barcelona Preview: Copa Del Rey Semi Final

Match Preview & Team News

Thursday evening's Copa del Rey semi final second leg between Valencia and Barcelona will decide which of the two sides will meet Getafe in the final on the 16th April. A stoppage time goal from Xavi salvaged a 1-1 draw for Barcelona after David Villa had given Valencia the lead in the first leg at the Camp Nou a fortnight ago.

David Villa Clarifies Exit Rumours

Spanish Transfer Rumours

David Villa has reacted to the numerous reports claiming that the player has stated his desire to leave Valencia football club at the end of the current La Liga season. The Spanish international striker had been reported as being so fed up with life in La Liga, under Ronald Koeman, that he is now open to offers from other clubs. The British media have jumped in with both feet and decided that David Villa is Liverpool, Chelsea or Tottenham bound. It's not what you think says Villa...

Ronald Koeman: Infamy, Infamy....

Ronald Koeman challenges Bern Schuster for the title of Spanish football's most paranoid manager. A sign of how bad things are at Valencia is when the manager starts to see enemies everywhere: in his playing staff, in the press, in the boardroom, in the bedroom …

Valencia - Sevilla Preview

Liga Match Preview & Team News

Ninth placed Valencia host Sixth placed Sevilla at the Mestalla on Saturday in a match that typifies the idea that there are no grey areas in Spanish football: according to the Spanish press anyway. Turning every drama in to a crisis while heralding every win as the dawn of a golden age is all part of life in La Liga, just ask the fans of these two clubs…

Valencia President Resigns

Spanish Football News
Juan Soler has stepped down as President of Valencia following a board meeting at the Mestalla yesterday. Soler, a 51 year old Spanish property developer (would he be anything else?) handed control of the football club over to former vice-president Agustin Morera. Juan Soler claimed that he was resigning from his role as President due to poor health, but failed to clarify whether he was talking about his own or the football club's…

Tottenham Target Kameni Attracts Valencia Interest

La Liga Transfer Rumours

According to reports in the Madrid sports paper AS, Spurs face competition from Valencia in their bid to sign Carlos Kameni from Espanyol…

Albelda Heartbroken After Losing Court Battle

Valencia midfielder David Albelda has lost his legal battle with the club after a Judge ruled today that the player’s grievances could not be upheld by the Spanish law courts. The decision leaves the Spanish international in an almost untenable situation.

Espanyol - Valencia Preview

La Liga Review looks ahead to Saturday's remaining fixture.

Espanyol, with just one win in their last eight games - losing the other seven - host an improving Valencia under Ronald Koeman. The home side have almost undone all of their good work in the first half of the season and now find themselves outside of the top four and just four points above today's opposition...

Barcelona - Valencia Preview

Copa Del Rey Semi Final: Preview & Team News

Ronaldinho has been left out of the FC Barcelona squad as the Catalans play host to Valencia at the Camp Nou on Wednesday evening in the first leg of the Copa Del Rey semi final. The home side must be considered firm favourites to win the tie and progress through to the final....

Saturday Previews

La Liga Previews : Saturday's Spanish football fixtures

20:00 Valencia - Recreativo
22:00 Sevilla - Zaragoza

A look ahead to both of Saturdays La Liga matches as a resurgent Valencia look to grab a European spot at the expense of struggling Recreativo, and Sevilla hope to build upon their excellent home record against terrible travellers Zaragoza...

Albelda Ready For Court Battle With Valencia

Tottenham and Chelsea target David Albelda appears set to finally have his day in court after a last ditch attempt to reach a settlement with Valencia seems to have failed. The Spanish international is prepared to go to the law courts this Friday in order to be released from his contract and secure a move to another club.
As the Valencia soap opera continues, the club remain desperate to avoid a potentially divisive public hearing...

Koeman gets tough with Joaquin and co

Joaquín Sánchez is the most high profile casualty of Ronald Koeman's promise that he would not be afraid to make bold changes at Valencia if he felt that they were required. The Andalucian winger has been left out of Valencia's 18 man squad named ahead of Saturdays game against Murcia at the Mestalla.

Following the midweek Champions league defeat to Rosenborg, Koeman has demanded "we need order: both on and off the field". For the Dutchman, Joaquin's lacklustre performance was clearly out of order. If the player has been dropped, rather than rested, it is a bold statement that has not been greeted warmly by all the fans and as one irate e-mail to Marca put it "Valencia without Joaquin is as daft as trying to make a paella without rice".

Real Madrid v Valencia: Few home comforts at the Bernabeu

Fernando Morientes has spoken of his desire to score a goal at a ground he used to call home, as he looks ahead to the biggest game of the weekend when his current side, Valencia, visit the Bernabeu on Saturday.

"Its a special stadium and a place that I have a lot of affection for" said Morientes, "I´ve scored goals there wearing one white shirt and now I want to do the same wearing that of Valencia"

Valencia - Chelsea Preview

Valencia CF coach Quique Sánchez Flores has opted to lay his cards out on the table ahead of Valencia’s Champions quarter-final second leg at the Mestalla tonight.

In fact, whilst his Chelsea counterpart Jose Mourinho seems to revel in the pre-match game of bluff that has become his trademark, the Valencia coach has avoided being drawn into a game of tactical espionage by making his blueprint for success very clear from the outset.

Cup action and Valencia at it again

With a break in European competition, the Spanish clubs have been focused upon the ‘oh- so- important’ Copa Del Rey. Espanyol crashed out to Rayo Vallecano (remember them?) after losing 0-1 at Montjuic. Espanyol, last season’s winners have little else to look forward to this season unfortunately.

Brace yourselves. Real Sociedad actually won a game of football, beating Malaga in the second leg. However, true to form, that wasn’t enough to put them through. Tarragona, Racing, Recre and Athletic Bilbao also fall at the first hurdle.

Barcelona went through to the next round after beating local side Badalona 4-0. However, the good news at the camp nou seems to be the continuing good form of Andres Iniesta who is illuminating a rather forlorn looking side at the moment. Frank Rijkaard had this to say about the pasty faced midfielder, who looks like he has never seen daylight, “He is omnipresent. Its as if there are two of him out there at times”. La Liga Review refuses to comment on rumours that Iniesta is allergic to garlic. Saviola, who scored twice, picked up a knock that rules him out of the weekend clash with Zaragoza.

Elsewhere, just when it seemed as if things had settled down for a while at Valencia, Quique Sanchez Flores decided to kick David Villa out of training. It has been a good month or so until the last bust up at the Mestalla and they were due a falling out after all. The coach accused his best player and leading goal scorer of not trying hard enough in matches. That should do the trick.

Tight on top

Eight games into the season and it looks like being a close fought contest for the title. Three of the top four sides are playing today and any one of them could, potentially, find themselves at the top of the pile on Monday morning.

Barcelona share the lead with Valencia on 16 points and both sides kick off at 20:00 Spanish time.

Stay away from Cyclists in Valencia

Valencia midfielder Edu arrived home late on Wednesday evening to find a burglar in his bedroom.

The player promptly called the police who confirmed that at least three individuals had attempted to steal from the house that once belonged to the cyclist Ángel Casero. Bosses at Valencia football club are said to be hugely relieved after initially panicking when they saw the headlines involving the words ‘cyclist’ ,’Valencia player’ and ‘police investigation’.

An online poll by Marca has reached the conclusion that the fans of Real Madrid have absolutely no idea
whether or not they want David Beckham to remain at the club. As the ‘will he – won’t he’ contract saga rumbles on, it seems that 40% of Real Madrid fans want the former England captain to quit the club. This compares with 21% who want him to stay purely for the revenue he brings, whilst 37% want him to stay for footballing reasons.

Curiously this 3-way split seems to reflect the actual situation at the club involving the Beckham-Capello-Calderon triangle. One of the three wants to play football, one of them wants to make a fortune and one of them needs to clear off – the only problem seems to be in working out which one is which.

We are still waiting for confirmation, but it looks like Lotina is the favourite to take over at Real Sociedad following the departure of Bakero. It is good news for Real Sociedad but bad news for the Spanish press who will struggle to come up with a name to link with every single vacancy in Spain if Lotina finds permanent employment.

Valencia players accused

Following on from the match fixing scandal in Serie A and the ‘Bung’ allegations that hang over the Premiership, in a bid not to be outdone, Spanish football could be on the verge of being embroiled in a scandal of its very own. An Italian agent, who has been involved in numerous transfer deals involving Spanish clubs, has suggested that Valencia’s recent successes were linked to drug taking by many of their star players.

Barcelona - Valencia Preview

Both Frank Rijkaard and Quique Sanchez Flores will keep each other guessing ahead of the top of the table clash at the Nou Camp on Sunday

Atletico Madrid v Valencia: Preview

Saturday 21:00. Sky sports

In what is undoubtedly the game of the weekend, two of La Liga’s potential challengers go head to head. Atletico Madrid host Valencia on Saturday evening in a match that will be seen as a measure of both club’s progress this season.

Result: Valencia 2 - Betis 1

Opening day win for Valencia
In the only game of the day a fairly uneventful first half that had the feel of a pre-season friendly was brought to life with a superb 33rd min strike from Morientes to put Valencia into the lead.

Valencia – Betis – Match Preview

Sky sports : 21:00 Kick off

The opening game of the Spanish football season and the only game of the day has been given added spice by the ongoing transfer saga of Joaquin from Betis to Valencia as a fascinating, if slightly bizarre backdrop.

Champions league joy for Valencia, heartbreak for Osasuna

Valencia 3- Salzburg 0

A collective sigh of relief was heard emanating from the Mestalla last night as Valencia fans finally had something to celebrate. Last night’s victory sends the club through to the Champions league proper after a years absence and is a welcome relief from the infighting and bickering along with the endless frustrations in the transfer market that have characterised the last few weeks.

Quique Sanchez Flores said “Valencia are back where they belong, in the Champions League”

Joaquin to join Valencia?

Valencia President Juan Soler is prepared to invest heavily in his club to add more attacking flair and goals to the team with one of the best defences in the Spanish league. Sections of the Spanish media are reporting that Valencia have agreed an 18 million euros deal with Real Betis for Joaquin.

Joaquin looks set to finally leave his hometown club after continuous speculation that has seen the 24 year old winger linked with the likes of Chelsea, Manchester united and Real Madrid. He is one of Europe’s brightest talents and is blessed with electric pace and a dazzling array of tricks.

Valencia less than plastic fantastic

Salzburg 1 -Valencia 0
The ‘Red bulls’ found their wings and were “helped by the pitch” which “caused all of the problems” for Valencia. Well, according to AS anyway.

The Spanish tabloids predictably claim that Valencia were severely handicapped by the artificial surface in Salzburg as the players struggled to cope with the pace of the ball and irregular bounce.

The more ‘serious’ press attribute Valencia’s less than perfect start to their Champions league campaign to the brilliance of the Salzburg goalkeeper and an efficient opposition that has been well disciplined by the combined instruction of Matthaus and Trapattoni.

An inspired performance from Salzburg keeper Ochs and Pitak’s 72nd minute header were the real difference between the two sides and the silence from the Valencia camp suggests that the pitch was less of a problem for the players than the ‘sports’ press would have us believe.

Valencia remain confident that they will overcome Salzburg at the Mestalla in a fortnight’s time where David Villa is certain to feature longer than his 30 minute cameo last night. Del Horno should also be for the return leg.

Hamburg 0 -Osasuna 0

Osasuna, meanwhile made a satisfactory start to the season with a 0-0 draw at Hamburg.

Making their Champions league debut the Pamplona side were resolute and disciplined in defence whilst keeper Ricardo made several key saves. Osasuna coach Cuco Ziganda showed that there is life after Aguirre and there are signs that the club can build upon last season’s success.

Ayala to miss plastic qualifier

As Valencia kick off their new season this evening in the Champions League qualifier against Salzburg, all the talk is of debutantes and absentees.

Playing his first competitive match for Valencia is Fernando Morientes. Morientes will be needed to provide an alternative goal scoring threat and support the outstanding David Villa in attack.

Villa scored 25 of Valencia’s 58 league goals last season, the only Valencia player to reach double figures. Valencia will hope that Morientes, the former Real Madrid striker, signed after a disappointing time at Liverpool, will take on some of the goal scoring responsibility. Valencia were over dependant upon Villa last season.

Unfortunately for Valencia, their other major summer signing, Asier Del Horno, will miss the match as he struggles to overcome long term ligament damage.

Perhaps the most exciting debutante in the match this evening, and certainly the one grabbing the headlines is Salzburg’s artificial pitch. Morientes has already commented that “I’ve only ever played on an artificial pitch once before and it wasn’t a good experience, not the best” He adds “In this case they have told us that the pitch is one of the best there is”