And so the first full season under Jose Bordalas concludes. It was a campaign that burned bright at the start with Los Che topping the table and nearly ended in fireworks with a Copa del Rey win. In between, however, were periods of dullness. Here are Batzine’s ratings for our defence, midfield and attack. Caution: […]
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Leaning back against a seat in the Antonio Puchades mini-stadium at the Ciudad Deportiva de Paterna, Hugo Duro cuts a relaxed figure after a rain-soaked training session. Dressed down in socks and slippers for an exclusive interview with Batzine, Duro is feeling cosy and toasty as the rain pelts down around the stands. It is […]
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As Hugo Duro bore down on the Real Betis goal, he knew it was his moment. The Copa Del Rey final had been played at blistering pace till then, and Betis had quickly taken the lead in just the 11th minute. On 31 minutes, the ball streamed upfield in a flash, from Carlos Soler to […]
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Gotham’s got Bruce Wayne. Valencia’s got Hugo Duro. Perhaps the supersized superhero banner draped across the Mestalla exterior, to promote the new Batman series on HBO, alluded to how the fabled stadium forges heroes.
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Just as the darkest Sevillan clouds gave way to the sun on the day of the Copa final, this young Valencia team will shine bright orange again. And what a new era it will be, powered by the Los Che faithful, who like legions of calvary claimed the 60,000-capacity Estadio de La Cartuja as the Mestalla.
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The day of the Copa final is here! The square by the 16th-century Cathedral de Sevilla became a quaking shrine for hundreds, if not thousands, of Los Che diehards who had made the pilgrimage to the Andalusian capital. All Valencianistas – some cribbed in a cot and many caught in capricious cavorting – are praying […]
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The biggest game of our season is upon us. Against all odds, Los Che are travelling west across the country this weekend to contest the Copa Del Rey final. Coach Jose Bordalas has played up the occasion, calling it a “historic moment”. Could we really do it and bring home our 9th Copa trophy? Batzine […]
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In 3 minutes and 2 swings of Carlos Soler’s right peg, our match against Granada went from finely-poised to advantage Valencia, as Goncalo Guedes and Maxi Gomez headed home to make it a quickfire double in the 2nd half.
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As the ball bobbled out from the Mallorca penalty box, Gabriel Paulista pounced like a lion who had been on a meat-free diet for the past 4 months. Impossible, you’d think.
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With the upcoming midweek Copa del Rey semi-final against a Marcelino-led Athletic Bilbao, this weekend’s LaLiga clash against Real Sociedad was in danger of being overshadowed.
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