spanish football fans

Emery: We Are Putting Last Year Year Behind Us

2008-09-29T15:43:00.000-07:00

Unai Emery believes that Valencia are putting the problems of last season firmly behind them with each good performance and the win against Deportivo was another step forward.

Los Che endured a tough time under Ronald Koeman in last term and problems behind the scenes also contributed to splits within the squad and among the board.

But now the team and the club appear to be pulling in the same direction and coming from a goal down to win 4-2 against Depor was a sign of that, Emery said.

"The problems from the previous campaign are being overcome and in this sense it is important that we worry only about ourselves," he explained.

"We will reach where we want to be by being prudent and we have to tread carefully by taking things step-by-step.

"We are pleased to be on top but we have to worry about consistency."

Depor took the lead through an own goal from Emiliano Moretti, but Valencia hit back with four goals to claim all three points with some ease.

"At the beginning Depor looked very good, but then I felt we played very well for the hour after the 30-minute mark," Emery added.

"We want to improve and grow as a team and if we can stay up where we are then that would be great."

Cannavaro Returns To Squad, Sneijder Still Out

2008-09-29T15:42:00.001-07:00

Italian defender Fabio Cannavaro has returned to the Real Madrid squad to face Zenit St. Petersburg on Tuesday after being rested at the weekend against Betis.

Los Merengues returned from Seville following their 1-2 win at Real Betis and immediately began a light recovery session as they prepare to hit the road again when they travel to Russia to face Zenit St. Petersburg on Tuesday.

Coach Bernd Schuster has no fresh injury concerns to worry about although the travel fatigue could be an issue.

He has reinstated Fabio Cannavaro to the squad after leaving him behind to rest in the capital at the weekend, and the Italian�??s return will see Christoph Metzelder dropped from the 19-man list, as will Míchel Salgado.

There were rumours that Dutch playmaker Wesley Sneijder could make an early comeback from his cruciate knee ligament damage and make a cameo appearance in St. Petersburg, but Schuster has decided not to take the risk and left him out along with fellow casualties, Fernando Gago and Guti.

Squad List:

Casillas, Dudek, Codina �?? Sergio Ramos, Cannavaro, Pepe, Heinze, Marcelo, Torres �?? Diarrà, Drenthe, De la Red, Javi García, Van der Vaart �?? Raúl, Saviola, Van Nistelrooy, Robben, Higuaín

Ujfalusi Turns Focus To Marseille

2008-09-29T15:39:00.000-07:00

After the disappointing 0-1 defeat at home to Sevilla overnight, Atlético Madrid defender Tomas Ujfalusi is quickly turning his attentions to the midweek Champions League clash.

Los Colchoneros suffered their first home loss of the season when they were stunned 0-1 by Sevilla on Sunday night, but defender Tomas Ujfalusi isn�??t dwelling too much on the defeat, especially with another game coming up in three days�?? time.

�??The players are disappointed because Sevilla did not have many scoring opportunities, but with the first clear chance they had, they managed to score,�?? he said during the post-match interviews.

�??I believe that we created enough to have gained at least a draw but we needed a bit of luck,�?? he added.

Atlético will have to pick themselves up quickly to prepare for Wednesday�??s arrival of Marseille to the Vicente Calderón for the Champions League.

�??We have a very hectic calendar and we already have game on Wednesday.

�??As such, we have to digest this defeat and put it behind us as quickly as possible and try to beat Marseille in the Champions League,�?? stressed the Czech international.

Finally, he commented on the squad�??s current injury headache: �??We are having very bad luck with injuries at the moment, but I believe we can continue to move forward and I hope our teammates recover soon.�??

Atleti already had John Heitinga, Diego Forlán, Simão and Maniche sidelined prior to the Sevilla clash but they lost two more players during the game itself: rightback Giorgios Seitaridis and his replacement, Pablo Ibañez.

Four Valencia Players Miss Training

2008-09-29T15:35:00.000-07:00

Valencia coach Unai Emery chose to wrap four of his side in cotton wool after the 4-2 victory over Deportivo La Coruna, with the UEFA cup in mind.

After their hard fought win at the Mestalla, where they had to come from a goal down to see off plucky Depor, some of the Valencia players suffered from slight niggles, and rather than risk further injury, the players missed training with the rest of the squad today.

Fernando Morientes, Alexis, Edu, & Miguel Brito all started the match, and spent the morning in the gym recuperating, missing the more strenuous work out the first team squad were involved in.

While none of their injuries are deemed to be serious, with a UEFA cup return match versus Maritimo on Thursday followed by a trip to Valladolid on Sunday, coach Emery wants to keep his key players fresh. Valencia lead 1-0 from the first leg, and will have to guard against complacency against the Portuguese side in order to progress to the group stages.

More news on the injury front saw Carlos Marchena and Ruben Baraja return to training after missing most of the season so far. While Baraja is not yet 100%, Spanish international Marchena could return to first team duties as soon as this weekend, which is a huge boost for the table-topping side.

Spanish Debate: Is Henry Proving Himself In The Middle?

2008-09-29T15:34:00.000-07:00

In light of Thierry Henry's goal against Espanyol on Saturday night, Ewan Macdonald asks if the beleaguered Frenchman has earned himself another shot at centre-forward for FC Barcelona...

It would be too easy to say that Thierry Henry celebrated his goal on Saturday with relief rather than joy. In fact there was another emotion etched in his face: one of defiance.

The Frenchman, clearly tiring of criticism over his performances, was itching to show not just Barcelona fans but the world at large that he's still "got it", and his performance against Espanyol - 8/10, according to Goal.com's Lucas Brown - seemed to prove it.

But it was also notable because he started in the middle. Samuel Eto'o was benched, most likely with a view to the midweek Champions League match with AaB, meaning that Henry wasn't shunted out wide.

Centrally-Minded

Indeed, Henry had been clamouring for a move to the middle for some time, and recently such calls came to a head as he hinted, ever so gently, that he has not ruled out the prospect of a move elsewhere if he doesn't get his way.

It's not too surprising, though. Barcelona purchased him when he was a last-defender-beating centre-forward with blistering pace: through the middle he sang for his supper.

But with Samuel Eto'o and latterly Bojan Krkic in the frame, Henry's place in the team was marginalised last season. When he was dragged from his sick bed - so to speak - towards the end of the most recent campaign, it was increasingly out wide.

However, he suffered mainly in silence, emerging this summer to state that this season would be better. As he did so, he was probably mindful of the fact that Pep Guardiola's brave new regime had the intention of punting Eto'o.

Of course Eto'o remained, and he retains the confidence of the coaching staff, meaning that Henry has a real job on his hands if he's to cement that central role.

Chances

His goal at the weekend did him plenty of favours, but so too did his performance. This Henry looked up for the challenge, and some of his runs were just like old times.

Furthermore, he took one of his chances, something that Barcelona players did not look like doing until he showed them the way to go. Given that so often this side freezes up in the box, the small matter of scoring at all is valuable not just for the scoreboard, but also morale.

And also, by giving him a more central role, Andrés Iniesta was afforded more space out wide, and an opportunity to work alongside Eidur Gudjohnsen. This won't be a regular feature, but seeing Iniesta unshackled in an attacking role without someone whose feet he is going to trip over is a site to behold, and one that we'd see more often if Barça had fewer attackers.

(Another matter garnering discussion in the Spanish sports papers is the fact that Henry sprinted towards the Barcelona fans and celebrated towards them after his goal. Given that a minority were busy chucking flares at Pericos, some have judged this to be ill-advised. Some.)

Rotation

Still, the prospects of his earning an automatic starting berth in his favoured position still look as bleak as ever. Eto'o's talents are simply unable to be ignored, while Bojan will be given a run-out on several occasions. (In fact were it not for the conscious effort on Barça's part not to exhaust the youngster he may even have been further up the pecking order than Henry prior to this weekend.)

In this regard Henry may see it as another season of false promises - having to wait his turn behind Eto'o, or feeding on scraps from an unfamiliar position.

Still, such a performance as that against Espanyol at the weekend proved that the man is no charity case, and his price tag, while far from repaid so far, certainly isn't fluttering in the wind.

Maybe a European goal would help convince more fans of that.

Weapon Carrying Sevilla Fans Detained

2008-09-29T15:33:00.000-07:00

Atlético Madrid vs Sevilla might not have been the most violent affair on the pitch but it has been revealed today that away fans were detained before the game for carrying a plethora of dangerous weapons, including 42 baseball bats....

After the ferocity of the Catalan derby on Saturday night the last thing the Spanish authorities needed was more crowd trouble but it has been revealed today that 18 Sevilla fans were detained before the Atlético Madrid match on Sunday for carrying weapons.

The match went ahead without any problems but reports today say that police confiscated weapons including 42 baseball bats, two knives, three flares, four rockets and some CS spray.

Furthermore the police had to arrest one of the fans after he was accused of attacking them and causing damage.

The group of Sevilla fans noticed by the police on the night is said to have been about 50-60 strong and after doing identification checks they then decided to detain eighteen of those.

The news is both good and bad for the authorities in that, unlike the Catalan derby no dangerous weapons got into the ground, but it proves that there is still a hardcore element willing to carry such weapons.

Perea: It Was Just One Defeat

2008-09-29T15:32:00.000-07:00

Atlético Madrid might have started the season strongly but against Sevilla on Sunday they looked poor and short of ideas, although Luis Perea says the one nil loss should not be blown out of proportion...

Javier Aguirre warned fans of Atlético Madrid that they should not expect a 4-0 rout every home match this season last week but surely still they could have expected better than what was on show on Sunday night.

With a few injuries to the squad the team looked devoid of ideas and failed to break down a solid Sevilla side after they took the lead. However, defender Luis Perea said today that the loss was just a loss and should not be over dramatised.

"It is a lost game and that is all it is, one must not over play it," he explained, "It hurts to lose at home before a direct rival but we must continue and prepare for Marseille."

"We tried from all sides but there were not many chances and whilst we always tried to go forward they defended well," he admitted.

Indeed, the worry for Aguirre will be the lack of impact his side had in the final third and the fact they didn't really create many chances throughout the match. Perea gives credit to their opponents though and says that the media and fans shouldn't be too worried about the lack of opportunities.

"They knew we had a good attack and they defended well and stopped us. It is a step back but I think the team is well prepared and ready for the next opponent. We should not go crazy and put in doubt the quality of the team in one half of the pitch," he assured the press.

One player who was singled out particularly by the fans for his poor performance on Sunday was Luís García and the Spaniard was whistled at times for his off target passses but Colombian Perea says that kind of reaction didn't help the players.

"It is always uncomfortable when they whistle you," he started, "He continued trying but it just didn't happen. He has been massive in other games though and yesterday just wasn't his day, like for others. We should change the whistling to applauding."

Joaquín: Now We Have A Real Coach

2008-09-29T15:31:00.000-07:00

Joaquín believes that there is a stark difference between the mentality and performances on the pitch at Valencia and the atmosphere within the squad between this season and last term.

The Spain international had a torrid time under Ronald Koeman last year and looked set to be leaving the club in the summer, before the Dutchman went before the end of the campaign.

Valencia went back to the top of the league, level on points with Villarreal, after their win over Deportivo and Joaquín explained why he felt it had happened.

"The team is practically the same, but what Unai (Emery) has done has given us a bit of order and we all know what we have to do," he told reporters.

"Now the coach knows what's what and does not go about making things up. Fortunately this season we have a real trainer

"The squad has changed a lot in terms of the feeling here and we are all thinking differently.

"We are forgetting about last year when there were a lot of non-sport and sporting problems and too many things were said."

Marco Caneira and Santi Cañizares were highlighted as two trouble-makers, but Joaquín does not think that any individuals within the squad should be blamed.

"It is not that any of them created real problems, although Caneira had problems with certain players and Cañizares was frozen out of the team," he added.

"But in general there were a lot of problems and nobody should pinpoint them as being the guilty parties."

Van Nistelrooy Wary Of Ruud Zenit

2008-09-29T15:30:00.001-07:00

Ruud Van Nistelrooy believes that Real Madrid will face a tough test in their Champions League encounter with Zenit in midweek and does not think the team relies on him for goals.

The Dutch striker netted a late winner for Los Merengues against Real Betis on Saturday and the media were quick to highlight his excellent scoring record of 60 goals in 97 games for the club.

Now Madrid turn their attention to Europe and Van Nistelrooy is just keen to be in the side and is expecting a difficult game against Dick Advocaat's outfit.

"I form part of the team and do my job. We have all started well and we have shown that we never give up," he told AS.

"It is a good time to go to Russia, but it is going to be a difficult game and we will have to work hard in Saint Petersburg.

"Zenit are doing well and it will be as difficult as the game against Betis was."

Van Nistelrooy was part of the Holland team that were knocked out of Euro 2008 by Russia, but he does not believe that will have anything to do with Madrid's game.

"That is something else. It is completely different because I am going to play for Real Madrid. We want to win there as a team," he added.

Mijatovic: The Squad Is Stronger Than Last Year

2008-09-29T15:29:00.001-07:00

Predrag Mijatovic believes that Real Madrid's squad is stronger this season than last term after their summer transfer dealings despite missing out on a variety of players.

The Spanish giants' sports director does not think that being unable to add either Cristiano Ronaldo, David Villa or Santi Cazorla has affected the side and that the players that did join have improved the side.

Rafael Van der Vaart has enjoyd a good start after he moved from Hamburg while Rubén De la Red and Javi García have returned, but some fans have said they do not think that was enough.

"This summer we tried to sign various players to improve the quality of the squad, but we were never going to just sign players for the sake of it," Mijatovic told AS.

"We thought Cristiano would improve what we already had. The squad now though is better than last year.

"Although some may feel we did not sign many players, we bought Rafael Van der Vaart and brought back Rubén De la Red and Javi García.

"The latter two feels like new signings. Maybe some people felt that we should have signed more to make them feel we had made a real change.

"I do not believe that we failed to sign anyone. We knew that signing Cristiano would be impossible, not because of the economic side or because he did not want to, but because his club would not give a price and there there was no buy-out clause.

"Maybe we should have done something to stop the feeling that we had failed. The player made some statements but they were never clear and it was sounded like there was a slight chance. But we knew that there would be no deal.

"We did not speak to him because you cannot do that before speaking to the clubs and having not spoken to Manchester United we could not talk to him.

"I do not think it went wrong. He is a professional that has grown up with Manchester United and he owes the club and Ferguson a great deal."

Mijatovic then criticised Robinho for his lack of professionalism in forcing a move away from Real Madrid and explained why he felt that letting the player go was a good deal.

"He never said that that he wanted to come here clearly. We thought he wanted to come here, but he never said anything as obvious as Robinho did, which showed a lack of respect to Madrid and the fans," he continued.

"Therefore I value Cristiano's professionalism.

"Robinho had two years of contract remaining and we offered him a new deal, but he did not like that idea. Our plan was that he stayed.

"But now I can say that it was best for Madrid that he went. It is the most expensive sale in the club's history and it would have been a mistake not to accept it.

"We knew that he would not regain the confidence of the supporters and Chelsea would not raise their offer. He did not want to be here any long er so he went."

Espanyol Accuse Barça Players

2008-09-29T15:14:00.000-07:00

Espanyol are set to make a formal complaint against Barcelona's players after their over zealous celebrations during the heated local derby on Saturday evening.

The Blanc i Blau's director general, Pedro Tomás, was incensed that both Thierry Henry and then Lionel Messi were provocative towards the visiting fans after scoring their goals.

"We are making a complained to the Antiviolence Commission about the provocative actions of some of the players," Tomás told TV3.

"I have not seen anything like it in my 30 years in football. It was a sad day, not just for Espanyol or for football, but for everyone in general.

"Some of the actions of a few Barça players, when celebrating the goals, appeared to encourage the problem."

Trouble had erupted midway through the second half when flares were thrown from among the Barça contingent into a family aresa of Espanyol supporters below them.

That provoked an angry response from some sections of the home support and riot police had to react quickly to quell the distubrances while the referee stopped the game for ten minutes.

Once play had resumed, Barça drew level when Henry scored and they then took all three points with a late penalty from Lionel Messi and Espanyol believe the celebrations were too much.

Most media outlets have laid the blame on the Boixos Nois group and Tomás believes that the attack with flares was pre-planned and publicised on the internet.

"It was a pre-meditated attack, published on the net and we will also present that as part of our evidence."

Tickets for the away end at the Estadi Olímpic were on open sale in the days leading up to the game and that is how members of the Boixos Nois, who are banned from Camp Nou, gained access.

"The sale of tickets is open and we cannot do anything about that," Tomás added.

Rossi, Cygan Wary Of 'Strong' Celtic

2008-09-29T15:13:00.001-07:00

Giuseppe Rossi reasons that, since fellow Italian Massimo Donati can't get a came for Celtic, the SPL champions must be a team to fear...

Former Manchester United starlet Giuseppe Rossi is buzzing after his weekend winner against Sporting Gijon and is now hoping to start in midweek as Celtic visit El Madrigal on Champions League duty.

Considering the Scottish opposition, Rossi has pointed to the absence of Massimo Donati from the first team picture as an indicator of the Hoops' quality.

He insisted: "If Donati can't get a start for Celtic, they must be a very good team. His omission tells me enough about how strong they will be.

"When you have a player of his quality and ability, then I would have thought Donati would have been a first choice."

Another man formerly on the books of a Premier League giant, ex-Arsenal defender Pascal Cygan, is similarly wary, despite Celtic's woeful away record on the continent.

The Frenchman, actually omitted from the squad, added: "I remember watching [Celtic] in the Champions League last season and they played like an English team.

"We are aware that Celtic are very strong at home and not so good away. It's a big statistic and it's important for players to know these things.

"Nevertheless, we expect a physical game. The referee will be European, though, so it will be different for them and better for us."

Cygan makes a good point, as the likes of Gary Caldwell, Scott Brown and Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink are prone to conceding an excess of free-kicks at the best of times.

Javier Saviola: The Forgotten Argentine

2008-09-29T15:07:00.000-07:00

Subhankar Mondal looks at the rise and fall of Javier Saviola, whose future at Real Madrid looks just as bleak as ever as he enters his second season in the capital...

It's the second half between Real Madrid and BATE Borisov in the UEFA Champions League at the Bernabeu on Wednesday night. Royston Drenthe, Gonzalo Higuain and Javier Saviola all are limbering up on the touchline for possible call-ups as substitutes. When Drenthe and Higuain are thrown onto the pitch, Saviola carries on, oblivious to the fact that all three substitutes have been used.

And then Jerzy Dudek and Miguel Torres play a trick on him by indicating that the coach wants him to come on. Saviola gleefully moves towards Manolo Ruiz, only to be informed that that no more substitutions are possible. He turns around disappointed as the rest of the bench enjoys a group chuckle at his expense...

Funny? Yes, but ruthlessly bitter, too, if you were in Javier Saviola�??s rusty boots. The kid who was once thought of as a New Maradona, who took Argentine powerhouse River Plate to domestic glory, has developed into the butt of jokes both on the bench and, one feels, in the stands. From the sidelines, weathering the smirks, he scavenges for morsels of matches here and there.

Feeding On Morsels

And that is precisely what Javier Pedro Saviola has been doing for the past couple of years: feeding on the crusts and crumbs of Liga minutes. When he arrived at FC Barcelona in 2001, he was a young, promising flamboyant and energetic youth, one of few sensible signings of the Joan Gaspart era - a New Maradona. But now? He's a nobody.

He is regarded as irrelevant so much that Real Madrid coach Bernd Schuster has openly declared his desire for a new striker, indirectly implying that he doesn�??t rate Saviola too much, or at least not enough to be merited with a regular slot in his plans.

Of course, Saviola was already out of the picture at Barcelona before he arrived at the Bernabeu on a free transfer at the end of the 2006-2007 season. But if he had fostered the belief that he would be able to play regular football at Real Madrid, then he must have been either ridiculously optimistic or naively complacent. It has become as clear as day that he was not signed to play regular first team football; he was smuggled in to add some cover for injuries that might creep in during the course of the season.

But in fact he's offered far less than cover: he is cover for cover. Even in the absence of Ruud van Nistelrooy, coach Schuster was more apt to field Gonzalo Higuaín, or even change the formation entirely, rather than field Saviola. In 2007-2008, Saviola started just 5 matches in La Liga and scored 3 goals. In short, El Conejo�??s treatment at Real under Schuster has been like that of a kid who has to be satisfied with half a candy while his mates have two jars each.

Not that Saviola is not used to not playing regularly. A success in his first couple of seasons at Camp Nou, when the Frank Rijkaard era kicked in, he was booted out of the squad altogether. Whether it was something personal between Rijkaard and Saviola shall probably never be known but it was, and is, certain that the duo�??s footballing mentality and philosophy didn�??t coincide.

Every time the Rabbit tried to burrow itself back into the Camp Nou, it was ejected. At the end of the 2004-2005 season, after a decent-ish loan stint at AS Monaco when he returned to Barça, Saviola was again shooed off, this time to Sevilla FC. And even after playing a considerable role in Sevilla�??s triumph in the UEFA Cup in 2005-2006, he was only reluctantly accepted by Rijkaard in a pathological exhibition of lack of faith.

Same Old, Same Old

But Saviola�??s decline into relative obscurity owes as much to the circumstantial factors as to his own idiosyncrasy. In the summer of 2006, he rejected no fewer than 14 offers and stayed on at Barcelona to score 5 goals in 18 league matches. And when his contract with Barça expired in the summer of 2007, there was hardly anyone who gave a second thought to his contract renewal. The likes of Sylvinho were kept on: Saviola's departure was a foregone conclusion.

And now the same old track is being played at the Bernabeu. So far this season, Saviola has played just one league match (as a substitute) and there is hardly any sign that he will get too many starts this season. And if certain transfer reports are to be trusted, then Real were willing to offload him as early as last winter to sign another striker - a blunt indication that Saviola is not at all rated by the club�??s management.

What Now?

So what now for a player whose talent and quality are undisputed, a player who won the South American Footballer of the Year award when he was just 18? Saviola goes on insisting that he shall carry on fighting for a place in the team, statements that he frequently mouthed while Rijkaard kept on ignoring him at Barcelona.

There are many who feel that Javier Saviola doesn�??t go to a �??lesser�?? club because he does not want to decimate his earnings. While this could be overly simplistic, there may be some truth in it. After all, what could possibly be the reason of him turning down 14 offers when he must have known in his heart of hearts that displacing Samuel Eto�??o at the time was out of question?

Javier Saviola is 26 and still has some time to resurrect himself. He still possesses the pace and the qualities but months of decaying on the bench have certainly corroded him and now whenever he is on the pitch, he looks rusty and often lost, a pale and rapidly disappearing shadow of his old self.

Logic suggests that Saviola should move on and play at a club where he shall be guaranteed of playing week in and week out, even if that club be not in the UEFA Champions League. Only then can he have the last laugh. But logic, like laughter, seems to be thin on the ground for El Conejo.