A mazy run down the flank, a last ditch tackle in the box. The adrenaline rush fuels your passion for football. No footballer can imagine life without the sport. It is even more excruciating to tell an 8-year-old he has to take an indefinite break from his greatest love.
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Time was running out. Valencia were staring at a home defeat to champions Atletico Madrid as the match entered the second of 7 additional minutes. Surrounded by 3 defenders, Hugo Duro sprinted and literally pointed the way forward. Jose Gaya’s laser-guided cross met the striker’s right boot. The net rippled. Delirium. But there was still work to do.
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Grow up, or be left behind. That was the only thing on Pedro Aleman’s mind when he arrived at Ciudad Deportiva de Paterna as a scrawny 14-year-old. The boy from Elche – 200km from Valencia – was on his own for the first time.
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Life in Europe has pretty much returned to normal – bar a few required measures. So if you’re into paellas and tapas, be excited. Spain has one of the fewest pre-departure procedures, allowing you to enter with ease to start your adventure. Let’s dive into how to prepare for your Spanish sojourn and what to expect.
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A 7-game winless streak. Derby day rolls around. What could go wrong? For Valencia, nothing. Fans arrived in full force, Mestalla was rocking and no one could tell the home side had only claimed 3 out of the last 21 points.
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The writing was on the wall. A fourth loss in 6 games loomed large. Deep into 7 minutes of stoppage time, up stepped Goncalo Guedes and Jose Gaya. Our mercurial Portuguese winger first unleashed a late thunderbolt to give hope to the despairing fans. Gaya, scorer of a wonder goal against Barcelona last week, then came in clutch with an overhead kick – virtually the last touch of the game – to rescue Valencia.
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At Valencia, youth is not wasted on the young. Youth means experience when you’re playing for last season’s second youngest LaLiga team.
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Hugo Duro can feel Jose Bordalas’ gaze on him as he is put through the paces by the boss. Each touch, each dribble and each shot is analysed with a fine-tooth comb. The forward is made to sweat from the moment training begins. But it’s all good. He is used to it, having endured many […]
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Hugo Duro cannot stop talking about scoring goals. He dreams of it. He lives it. Beneath his boyish grin, the on-loan Valencia striker is dead serious about finding the net at every opportunity. He has already bagged 1 apiece against LaLiga frontrunners Real Madrid and Sevilla this season – both goals came in his first […]
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To say that this fixture held undesirable baggage is an understatement. While the mood at Cadiz’s Nuevo Mirandilla had snowballed into almost festive heights with a capacity crowd, tension bubbled beneath the surface.
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