Tidbits

By: Cesar | September 23rd, 2008

An assortment of Valencia news today ahead of Thursday’s match against Malaga …

- The club officially named their captains, as Carlos Marchena, Raul Albiol, Vicente and David Villa will wear the armband.

Three are Euro 2008 champions, with Vicente getting the nod for his commitment to the cause. Two are local lads, Albiol and Vicente.

Marchena will be the senior captain on the field, followed by Albiol.

Funny incident during practice on Tuesday when, after the vote for captain, Ivan Helguera came out wearing the captain’s armband. Could you imagine him as our leader??? If anything, it’s a good indication of the fine spirit around the club these days.

Naming of club captains at Spanish clubs is seen as a huge honor. The captains are voted on by club players.

- So, did Raul squash the David Villa transfer to Real Madrid?

According to Villa, that’s just not true.

“This is only a rumor. A player with so much class on and off the pitch as Raul wouldn’t have said that.
I can’t see him or one of his team-mates going to the president to say bad things about me. I have always had a good relationship with Raul whereas we didn’t play much together with the selection.”

Maybe so. But he did see himself at another club after winning Euro 2008 …

“The club told me how much my transfer was rated before the European Championship and I tended to think me leaving was the best for them,” Villa told Radio Marca.

“But when I returned from holiday Vicente Soriano was appointed president and he told he didn’t want me to leave Valencia and that he didn’t care of the club’s debt and of what other clubs offered for me.

“This made me stop doubting.”

As for the future? Who knows?

“You can never say never, because maybe in two years time Valencia will ask me to leave,” the forward suggested. Umm, no …

Despite not been 100% sure of his future though Villa did say that he would be not finishing when his contract runs out and that he would like to finish either at Valencia or his first club Sporting Gijón.

“There is still a lot of time for me because when my contract runs out I will be 32 and then I do not want to retire,” he said. “At times I think I would like to finish my career playing before the fans of Valencia but at other times I see Sporting and I think that I would like to retire there.”

Interesting statements by Villa.

You can never tell if this is what they really mean or if they’re just trying to be nice and diffuse speculation or innuendo. If it means anything, Raul also mentioned today that he didn’t squash the Villa transfer. So there …

I believe it’s safe to say that Villa was more than 50% out of here after Euro 2008. To Madrid? Who knows? But I’m sure glad he stayed.

- Mata’s overjoyed with Valencia’s start to the season.

“Right now we are very happy with the results obtained,” he said. “Our position in the table is good and we hope to continue at the top. The group is united and that has already been noted. It gives me pride to be able to play at a club like this and to start games. I like the compliments but I only think about improving and learning day-by-day with my team-mates,” he revealed.

Ok, then.

- I’m sure you’ve all seen this and it was posted on yesterday’s comments section.

But it deserves to be seen again.

Enjoy ‘The Pirates of the Mediterranean.’ It’s awesome!!