Valencia Train On Filbert Way Ahead Of Showpiece Friendly
- Share via Facebook
- Share via Twitter
- Share via Email
- Share via Whatsapp
- Share via Facebook Messenger
-
คัดลอก URL ลงคลิปบอร์ด
URL copied to clipboard
Known on the east coast of Spain as Els Taronges and coached by the astute Marcelino García Toral, the Valencia squad touched down in the United Kingdom earlier this week.
Under Marcelino’s guidance, the six-time Spanish champions impressed in La Liga last term, comfortably booking a return to European football's top table, the UEFA Champions League.
Marcelino García Toral, the Valencia manager, watches on at King Power Stadium.
Following successive 12th-place finishes, Marcelino stirred a revolution at the Mestalla, altering their trajectory and restoring their standing among Spain’s elite.
As the fixture approaches, Valencia travelled to King Power Stadium on Tuesday to train on the pitch as part of their preparations to tackle Claude Puel's Foxes on Wednesday (7:45pm BST kick-off).
They faced Real Madrid early in his tenure and, instead of being cowed, they went toe-to-toe with the European champions… it really set the tone for their season to come.
Graham Hunter
This week, Graham Hunter, a name familiar to both English and Spanish television audiences, provided LCFC.com with an assessment of Valencia’s recent turnaround.
“The fans of Valencia absolutely believe they are the no.1 side in Spain. Statistical evidence be damned, each year, if they don’t win the title, they can’t understand why,” he said.
“Without exception, they want somebody to manage the club who has a ‘Valencia personality’.
Rodrigo Moreno Machado
Rodrigo Moreno Machado found the net 16 times in La Liga last season for Valencia.
“It's has to be somebody who understands them and that is certainly the case with Marcelino. There is something that Valencia fans think is inherent to their brand of football.
“That applies to the way they wage war on anybody… whether that be Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atléti or indeed the rest of Europe and they believe they have found that person in Marcelino.”
On the topic of their 52-year-old Villaviciosa-born manager, whose playing career took him from Sporting Gijón to Elche, his own management style has carried huge significance over Valencia's recent fortunes.
A side which could have become trapped in mid-table mediocrity quickly became a real force in the Spanish game once more, a twist largely attributed to Marcelino’s powerful presence at the club.
“You can take a marker very early in the season,” Hunter continued.
“It was not long after the appointment of Marcelino as manager, who I was already very excited about, when it became clear that he would be very driven, very thorough and very organised.
Valencia Quiz: Ricardo vs. Silva
Ricardo Pereira and Adrien Silva pit their wits against each other as they answer questions on Wednesday's opponents Valencia...
“They faced Real Madrid early in his tenure and, instead of being cowed, they went toe-to-toe with the European champions… it really set the tone for their season to come.”
Leicester City, of course, are familiar with making headlines of their own after undergoing an odds-defying metamorphosis from relegation favourites to Premier League champions in 2016.
Discussing the qualities Valencia may recognise in their opponents on Filbert Way on Wednesday evening, Hunter added: “Certainly aspiration is one thing the clubs have in common.
While Valencia would imagine themselves to be a club with a bigger name and a bigger reputation, they will absolutely see themselves in this Leicester City team.
Graham Hunter
“While Leicester are perhaps unlikely to finish in the top four this season... outside of England, you cannot overplay the impact Leicester winning the league had.
“Don’t forget that Leicester gave Sevilla a bit of a lesson in European football too. In that [Last-16] first leg [at Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium], they soaked everything up so well.
“It looked like it was going to be a really difficult night for them but they worked their way back into that game before pummelling Sevilla at King Power Stadium. They took Sevilla apart.
City's visitors finished fourth last season, earning a return to the UEFA Champions League.
“If you think about how many people were watching that game in Spain… it is still the case that Leicester’s ability to beat big sides is something that Valencia aspire to.
“While Valencia would imagine themselves to be a club with a bigger name and a bigger reputation, they will absolutely see themselves in this Leicester City team.”
- Share via Facebook
- Share via Twitter
- Share via Email
- Share via Whatsapp
- Share via Facebook Messenger
-
คัดลอก URL ลงคลิปบอร์ด
URL copied to clipboard