Raucous roars fill the air as Carlos Soler slots the ball home yet again. The noise in the stadium is deafening – 70,000 fans cheering Los Che on. This vision will soon be a reality with Valencia’s newest project – Nou Mestalla, or New Mestalla. Boasting a capacity increase of 15,000 from the current stadium, […]
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Usually a picture of intense focus during matches, Irune Cervera broke into a smile for a short moment. Barring a catastrophe, the elegant centre-back knew the job was done: VCF Femenino B, Valencia’s female reserve team, would win the Primera Nacional Champions Group 7 league. Up 4-2 in the 83rd minute of their penultimate game […]
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In mid-February, the FC Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih youth team from central Ukraine made the long 500km trip east to the coastal city of Mariupol for a football tournament. On the long bus ride there, the squad pulsed with anticipation. It was another opportunity to showcase the progress they had made as a team. On a […]
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Valencia’s General Director Sean Bai pledged to be more open with Valencia fans and draw closer to them in his first public comments since taking over the top job last week. He promised, among other things, to reopen the comments section on the club’s social networks. Bai was recently appointed as the club’s interim General […]
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Midfield sentinel. Andrea Pirlo’s partner-in-crime. Serie A, Champions League and World Cup winner. Hothead. Gennaro Gattuso is a man of many monikers, one whose passion and talent cannot be questioned.
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In the bowels of the 3,000-capacity Estadio Antonio Puchades, the VCF Mestalla team sat shoulder to shoulder in the no-frills dressing room. Above their heads were their matchday jerseys loosely hung on hooks, beneath simple box lockers. Strewn around the classroom-sized room were boots, slippers, socks and an ice box here and there. Their eyes […]
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It is finally over. A stormy season that initially promised so much has ended with Los Che in mid-table. But there are still positives to take heart in. While the team’s performances have often been found wanting, the displays of certain individuals have left fans wanting more. A few Bats have soared against the turbulent […]
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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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