As a Valencia fan for over 20 years, I’ve had my share of unforgettable moments. Yet, nothing quite comes close to Daniel Wass’s 82nd-minute equaliser against Chelsea at the Mestalla back in November last year. It gave us a 2-2 draw — an unbelievable scoreline given the number of injuries in our squad. We had […]
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The introduction of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system at the 2018 World Cup in Russia was a signal that the footballing world was being ushered into a new era. One where we wouldn’t need to debate the status of Diego Maradona as a god or a cheat for the (in)famous “Hand of God” incident, or have to listen to TV pundits talk about how the Premier League is the best league with the worst referees.
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Two coaches were sacked and two directors of football resigned. A qualification for Champions League knock-out stages for the first time in 6 years and a blossoming of academy players in the first team. Pandemic interrupted football and left Valencia adrift. What can we learn from the turbulent 2019-2020 season?
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Football academies may cease to function in the same manner in the near future. While many had opined that the Covid-19 crisis would open the door to academies becoming the next pot of gold in the coming seasons, there is an important question that has yet to be answered. Are football clubs equipped to cope with the new normal in football?
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I’d never been a football fan until of late. My only exposure, like most non-followers, had been to the FIFA World Cup. The event was generally worth watching because of the high-stakes play and the gathering of nations. I remembered staying up as late as 4am in Singapore to catch a match, to see if […]
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Shoulders slumped. Legs shook with fatigue. Grimaces all around. As Dani Parejo led his depleted troops off the Anoeta Stadium after the 0-3 trouncing by Real Sociedad last Saturday, it was clear that Valencia are tired and out of ideas.
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David Silva, Juan Mata, Roberto Soldado and Shkodran Mustafi. It has become a bit of a trend for English clubs to poach prized assets from Valencia over the years. In the last decade, English clubs have been only second to Barcelona when it comes to the outflow of key talent from the Mestalla – Mustafi, Silva, Soldado and Mata only bettered by Neto, Andre Gomes, Paco Alcacer, Jeremy Mathieu, Jordi Alba and David Villa.
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For Valencianistas, recalling success beyond last season’s Copa Del Rey might require them to hark back to more than a decade ago to their team’s golden era. Led by Rafael Benitez, his uncompromising Valencia side inserted an aberration in Spain’s La Liga annals, with their two league wins in 2002 and 2004 interrupting the Barcelona and Real Madrid duopoly.
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When Valencia last faced Chelsea, Marcelino had just been dismissed. The forecast for the club: showers and thunderstorms. But it has been sunnier than expected on the east coast, an optimism driven by the team’s faith in youth. Los Che are now playing better football and showing greater spirit, most recently characterised by a series of important […]
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