Sevilla coach Unai Emery will put his feelings for Valencia aside as he looks to reach the UEFA Europa League final with his current club.
Emery spent four years as coach at the Mestalla between 2008-12, leading them to three consecutive third-place finishes in La Liga and the 2011-12 Europa League semi-finals.
On that occasion, Emery s Valencia were vanquished by eventual winners Atletico Madrid, but his hopes of reaching this season s showcase are boosted by a 2-0 first-leg win in Seville.
Valencia reached the semi-finals thanks to a stunning turnaround against Basel, winning 5-3 on aggregate, despite a 3-0 first-leg loss in Switzerland.
And Emery remains wary of his former club s capacity to spring a surprise at the Mestalla on Thursday.
For me to be her…
Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic believes the team can mount a title challenge after closing the gap on Arsenal to four points.
After winning the Premier League under Carlo Ancelotti in 2009-10, Chelsea have finished nine, 25 and 14 points behind eventual champions Manchester United, Manchester City and United again respectively in each of the past three seasons.
Chelsea have only lost twice in the Premier League this term and extended their unbeaten home league record under Jose Mourinho to 67 matches.
A 3-1 victory over Southampton on Sunday saw Mourinho s men keep the pressure on leaders Arsenal and Ivanovic has talked up the club s chances of lasting the distance.
This is our best chance, but we have to be careful, he told the Daily Star. We must carry o…
The Football Association is in contact with Sheffield United over an appropriate tribute to Maddy Cusack, who has died at the age of 27.
Baroness Sue Campbell, the FA’s director of women’s football, said the organisation was offering its support to the club.
“On behalf of the FA, the Lionesses, the Women’s Super League and the Women’s Championship, our thoughts and deepest condolences are with Maddy’s family, friends, team-mates and everyone at Sheffield United,” Baroness Campbell said.
Such a lovely girl, enjoyed some amazing times with Maddy and the Blades. Such a sad loss. RIP Maddy
— billy sharp (@billysharp10)
“Maddy also represented England at age-group level and we will pay tribute to her at an appropriate point.”
…
Raheem Sterling looked like he wanted the ground to swallow him up.
Manchester City took a 1-0 lead after half-time in the 2016 EFL Cup final at Wembley through Fernandinho. As Yaya Toure and David Silva surged at a porous Liverpool defence before the hour, Sterling had the chance to definitively silence his tormentors.
The England winger s £49million switch from Anfield to the Etihad Stadium in July 2015 had proved acrimonious. Fleetingly the teen darling of the Kop, Sterling was now Judas. Public enemy number one.
Jeers turned to guffaws as Jurgen Klopp s Reds thumped Manuel Pellegrini s City and Sterling 4-1 in the Premier League that November, but he moved to Manchester to win trophies. Now he could seal one, sweetly at Liverpool s expense.
Silva s…
Despite being just 20 years old and having spent only four seasons in professional football, new Inter signing Gabriel Barbosa has been primed to succeed at the highest level.
So prolific was his time in Santos fabled youth ranks, which has produced the likes of Pele, Clodoaldo, Diego and Robinho to name but a few, the striker earned the nickname Gabigol – no pressure, then.
And as if such a moniker did not provide a big enough reminder of the expectations he was anticipated to live up to, Santos made clear they were pinning their future hopes on him in May 2013, aged just 16.
Gabriel was handed his debut in a 0-0 draw against Flamengo, a notable match as it provided a farewell for modern-day superstar Neymar, another of Santos Meninos da Vila , but even before…
Tottenham can alleviate the growing pressure on Tim Sherwood by mounting an unlikely UEFA Europa League comeback at Benfica on Thursday.
Spurs head coach Sherwood has come under fire following three successive high-profile defeats in the past fortnight, including a 3-1 reverse to Jorge Jesus Primeira Liga leaders in the first leg of their last-16 tie at White Hart Lane last Thursday.
That setback was sandwiched with a 4-0 rout at the hands of Chelsea at Stamford Bridge before Tottenham suffered north London derby heartbreak in a 1-0 home loss to rivals Arsenal on Sunday.
Sherwood will now seek solace in this week s second leg, but the visitors face what appears a near impossible task in overturning the deficit at Estadio da Luz.
Benfica are unbeaten in 10 Europea…
Corentin Tolisso says Bayern Munich team-mate Franck Ribery is proud of France s World Cup triumph despite his rocky relationship with the national team.
Ribery was a key member of the side that reached the World Cup final in 2006, but he was banned for three-matches for striking at the finals four years later.
The Bayern winger then retired after missing the 2014 tournament with injury, citing purely personal reasons.
However, Ribery still enjoyed watching France s success in Russia this year, telling Tolisso of his pride.
[Ribery] congratulated me, of course, Tolisso told France Football. Even if the relationship between Franck and France is complicated, he was happy for me, for us.
He is a good person and he was very proud of the France team.…
Swansea City boss Carlos Carvalhal hailed the backs-to-the-wall goalless draw at Huddersfield Town as one of his finest Premier League results.
The visitors faced 30 shots, attempted zero and had only 19 per cent of possession at John Smith s Stadium after losing Jordan Ayew to a straight red card in the 11th minute.
It was the first time since April 2012 that a team failed to muster a shot in a Premier League fixture, but a combination of desperate defending and a fine Lukasz Fabianski performance proved enough to frustrate the Terriers.
Carvalhal welcomed the unbelievable rear-guard as a potentially key moment in the Swans fight against relegation.
This is one of the best results in my opinion because of the circumstances and importance of the game, Ca…
Bayer Leverkusen defender Omer Torpak went on to confirm he will be leaving his current club at the end of the season.
The 27-year-old centre-back was on the verge of leaving the club last season, when Borussia Dortmund offered €25 million, but Bayer Leverkusen refused to sell their prized asset.
The reliable Turkish defender moved to Bayer Leverkusen in 2011 and still remains dedicated to his club’s cause despite the announcement regarding his imminent departure at the end of the campaign.
“I have been here for a very long period of time and I want to have a successful and positive conclusion”, Toprak was quoted by the .
The same source adds that Borussia Dortmund seem like the most probable destination for the defender, who will be available fo…
Bruno Fernandes revealed the desire to win his first trophy at Manchester United was instrumental in his decision to sign a new long-term contract with the club.
The Portugal international put pen to paper on a fresh deal earlier this month – reportedly worth £240,000 a week – that will keep him at Old Trafford until at least 2026.
Fernandes has been a key figure for the Red Devils since his move from Sporting CP in January 2020, scoring 49 goals and assisting a further 39 in 118 appearances across all competitions.
In fact, his 88 direct goal involvements during that period have only been bettered by five players in Europe’s top five leagues.
Nevertheless, the 27-year-old is still seeking his first trophy with United, who reached last season s Eur…