Homegrown players have long been the backbone of successful Valencia teams, from former defensive lynchpin Voro to current captain Jose Gaya. Today, there is a sharper focus on tying down young talent early after the promising Ferran Torres left for around 25 million euros last summer following failed contract negotiations.
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A dreary, draggy and mostly disappointing season has finally come to a close. But stars shine brighter in the darkest nights, and Los Che had a few who provided the sparkle. Time and again, these players hauled the team out of the quagmire with their individual brilliance or top-class leadership. So who are these standout players? Batzine brings you our choice picks this season.
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Threading delicious through balls. Befuddling opponents with dazzling footwork. Orchestrating the team’s attacking play. These are the skillsets of a classic No. 10 in football. Think Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldinho and Diego Maradona. But not in Valencia. Instead, Los Che’s current No. 10 loves sliding into tackles, harassing opponents off the ball, and offers more protection […]
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The giant digital clock in the Mestalla read 90.00. A tense derby encounter between Valencia and Villarreal looked set to end in a 1-1 draw. But as Christian Oliva received the ball in the middle of the field, he saw something ahead hardly seen in his time playing for Caligari in the stifling Serie A: […]
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It takes a special player to have a chant of his own, especially one who has recently joined. A handful of games into his career at Premier League club Wolves, Patrick Cutrone already had a song dedicated to him. His passionate yet intelligent play on the field won English fans over when he joined in July 2019.
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All Carlos Soler wanted was a Game Boy. He probably did not expect the Japanese handheld game console to kick start his journey towards a now flaming-hot Valencia career.
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On the pitch, he is all about speed and defence. But away from football, he’s just your average 21-year-old who enjoys video games and watches the shenanigans of a certain gang from Birmingham. Who is Thierry Correia? The Portuguese reveals it all to Batzine in an exclusive interview.
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Valencia’s January signing Patrick Cutrone braced himself for the worst when he had a high temperature and sore throat in March last year. His fears were realised when he was diagnosed with COVID-19, just six days after he played for Fiorentina in a Serie A game against Udinese.
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With 30 minutes left in the LaLiga game against Athletic Bilbao, Javi Gracia turned to his new hitman on the bench, Patrick Cutrone, to make an impact on his Valencia debut. “The coach told me to make movements, to up the pressure,” said Cutrone in an exclusive interview with Batzine. “It was emotional when I put on […]
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What a boost. With hours till the transfer window shut, Valencia have unveiled forward Patrick Cutrone, defensive midfielder Christian Oliva and centre-back Ferro, signed on six-month loans from Wolverhampton Wanderers, Cagliari and Benfica respectively. The trio will provide some much-needed reinforcements from back to front for Javi Gracia, who has seen his squad battle multiple […]
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