Soler Stays, Cañizares to Sue, Albelda to Spurs?

By: Cesar | February 26th, 2008

So I was wrong about president Juan Soler leaving.

How can you blame me, though?
Every news outlet in Spain reported that the administrative board of the club was meeting to discuss Soler’s resignation. But it didn’t happen. Instead, we got the announcement of this incredibly cheesy ad for Estrella Damm beer featuring such stars as Arizmendi, Mora and Moretti … they’re trying to sell beer, right? Arizmendi??

Anyways, Soler’s here. For now.

And the club also announced they’re done dealing with David Albelda. Meaning, no negotiations. After the judge stated that the club and the player must reach an agreement, Soler has now decided that he does not want to talk to the player any longer. So that’s that. Looks like the case will be settled by the judge …

Well if he does leave, he might go to England and join Carling Cup winners Tottenham Hotspur. Albelda has revealed that Tottenham boss and former Sevilla skipper Juande Ramos has asked him to join him at White Hart Lane.

“Tottenham coach Juande Ramos called me on the telephone and was interested in my situation, but at no time did he make any specific offer to go there,” Albelda said while lying in bed, munching on some nachos and scratching his 8-day old facial hair.

“The only thing I am thinking about at the moment is leaving Valencia after the judgment of last week and to get my career back on track.” Good luck.

One team he’s not going to is Villarreal. Our Valencian rivals claim they don’t want to upset us, so they’re not after our former captain.

“At this time there is absolutely no possibility that Albelda will become a player of Villarreal,” Yellow Submarine president Fernando Roig said, his voice cracking in fear of Soler’s men busting through the door with tire irons.

“Not because we would not like him, but because he is a Valencia player and if any player has a contract with another club then we have no option. We are always respectful when players have contracts in place.” Fair enough …

Finally today, my favorite player Santi Cañizares might go down the Albelda route and sue the club.

Great …

“I’m contracted for this season and the next, which I no longer want. The problem I have, like Albelda and Angulo, is that they [the club] do not want to be responsible for their decision. Now, my idea is to separate myself from Valencia.”

He paused, stared into the distance and after several minutes, continued.

“We know that if two people can’t agree then a judge needs to step in, but I’d prefer to reach an understanding.”

As such, Cañizares will not quite rule out court, although he admits that he has less reason to be hasty than Albelda.

“He’s 30, an international, and it’s a European Championship year. I’m in a team that doesn’t want me, but they won’t negotiate. I have to leave for good, but they want to pay. I will not rule out serving legal action, like Albelda did, if it turns out to be the only way to solve it.”

He did add, though, that his relationship with the club president remained “correct.”

Correct? What the f*ck does that mean?

Oh … we play Barcelona tomorrow.

No, really. We do.

As I’ve said before, I totally believe we have it in us to defeat the Catalan giants.
We need to focus, play the best we can and all that other rah-rah talk …

This could be a significant turning point in our 2007-08 campaign or another bump on the road towards the end of the season.

More on this later. But if I don’t get to it, I hope the players leave it all out on the field tomorrow. If they lose, I at least hope they lose by playing with heart and gusto … anything short would leave me disappointed.