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Amadeo Salvo has reiterated that Peter Lim’s offer to take over at Valencia ‘still stands’, with a deadline of January 15.
The President announced before Christmas that the Singapore billionaire was in talks to come in at Mestalla and invest not only to clear the club’s sizable debt, but also to strengthen the playing staff.
Asked again on the matter today, Salvo has made clear that the offer remains in place, as does a determined deadline.
“No-one has disproved anything nor has Lim said and that what I have announced is uncertain,” Salvo has commented to reporters today.
“The offer stands until January 15 and for that, Bankia must start working.
“[The club’s possible sale] should be a transparent and fair process with all parties in agreement. Valencia are a good client for Bankia and deserve the greatest of respect for their creditors.”
The President was talking at Juan Antonio Pizzi’s presentation as the club’s new Coach.
“He is very hard working and satisfies the direction of the club’s sporting management. Pizzi has been our first choice.
“We wish him every success. May this be the beginning of a long period. Thank you for trusting in our project.”
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It would be an 'honour' to coach Inter, says Simeone
Nicholas McGee84
Dec 30, 2013 2:16:00 PM
The Argentine enjoyed a successful period at San Siro as a player and has refused to rule out returning to the club in the future
Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone has stated that it would be an "honour" to take charge of Inter.
Simeone played for Inter between 1997 and 1999 and helped them to a Uefa Cup triumph in 1998.
The Argentine has since guided Atletico to glory in the Europa League, Super Cup and Copa del Rey after taking over the club in 2011, but did add he has no desire to leave his current post just yet.
"Inter? It would be an honour," Simeone told Il Giornale. "But for now, all that talk is left to the newspapers.
"I see myself at Atletico Madrid for some time yet. Some say I might become the (Alex) Ferguson of the Colchoneros."
Atletico are level on points with La Liga leaders Barcelona going into the second half of the season and Simeone, who won the Spanish title as a player with Atletico in 1996, has his eye on repeating the feat as a coach.
"It would be stupid not to think about that (winning the league)," Simeone added. "Especially in light of the league position."
Ibrahimovic: Santa Claus should win the Ballon d'Or
By Matt Jones156
Dec 30, 2013 3:32:00 PM
The striker shared his unique thoughts on the prestigious award ahead of his side’s friendly with Real Madrid in Doha on Thursday
Paris Saint Germain's Zlatan Ibrahimovic has revealed he hopes Santa Claus wins the Ballon d'Or rather than the three high-profile contenders for the prize.
The Sweden international was touted as a potential winner of the prize himself before Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Franck Ribery were named on a three-man shortlist for the award, which will be presented to the winner on January 13.
Speaking to the press in Doha, Ibrahimovic joked: “The Ballon d’Or? For me, the three deserve to win it, but the one who must have it is Santa Claus.”
Ibrahimovic will come up against Ronaldo on Thursday as Paris Saint-Germain play Real Madrid in a exhibition match in Qatar and the 32-year-old spoke about his plans for the future with les Parisiens.
He said: “Yes, it’s an option for me to finish in Paris and we’ll see what happens in the future.
“I’m never fully satisfied. The team progresses, the club has made a leap in a short time, but we must continue to work. We have great qualities and I am optimistic for the future,” he added.
Thursday’s friendly will see Blancos coach Carlo Ancelotti face his former club, but the Swede said he was looking forward to seeing his old coach.
“We’ll see Carlo Ancelotti, who was at the initiative of the new Parisian project and he left his mark. He pulled the group and the club up. He is a great coach, and I was happy to work with him at Paris and I wish him the best in Madrid.”
Barcelona striker Lionel Messi has returned to training following a hamstring injury.
The 26-year-old has not featured for the club since November 10, when he was forced off in the 4-1 La Liga victory over Real Betis, and has been recovering in his native Argentina.
However, Barcelona, who return to action after their winter break against Elche on Sunday, confirmed on Thursday that the Argentina international is back training as expected.
"Messi is back! Training at Ciutat Esportiva," the Spanish champions stated on their official Twitter account.
If Messi does not feature on Sunday, he could make his return in Barca's Copa Del Rey clash with Getafe on Wednesday.
After the visit of Luis Garcia Plaza's men, the league leaders visit second-place Atletico Madrid, with the sides only separated by goal difference at the turn of the year.
Barcelona have confirmed goalkeeper Victor Valdes has been given the all-clear to return to first-team action.
Valdes, who turns 32 later this month, had been sidelined with a calf injury since mid-November but returned to training last month.
After a training session on Thursday, which featured the return of Lionel Messi, Barca revealed the Spain international was ready to make his comeback, potentially as early as this weekend.
"He is available for selection for this Sunday's league match at the Camp Nou against Elche," read a short statement on the club's official website.
Valdes is now free to speak to other clubs, having expressed his intent to leave Barcelona when his contract expires at the end of the season.
He missed eight games due to his calf problem, which was picked up on international duty with Spain in South Africa.
Cristiano Ronaldo is to be granted one of the most prestigious awards in the Portuguese honours system, the president's office has confirmed.
The 28-year-old Real Madrid forward, who is already an Officer of the Order of Prince Henry, will now be made Grand Officer for his services to the country and the example he sets to its young people.
The award is just two steps away from the highest-ranked accolade achievable under the system, the Grand Collar, which is reserved for heads of state and those whose achievements are of an "extraordinary and special nature".
A statement on the Presidency of the Portuguese Republic website read: "The President of the Republic will award Cristiano Ronaldo, football player and captain of the national soccer team, with the grade of Grand Officer of the Order of Prince Henry the Navigator.
"The decision of President Cavaco Silva aims to distinguish this internationally renowned sportsperson who has been a worldwide symbol of Portugal, thus contributing towards the country’s international image, and an example of perseverance for the new generations."
The Order of Prince Henry is awarded to those who "render outstanding services to Portugal" and who contribute to "the expansion of Portuguese culture or knowledge of Portugal, its history and its values".
The ceremony is set to take place on Tuesday at the National Palace of Belem in Lisbon.
Ancelotti: No transfer activity at Madrid this month
3 January 2014
Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti does not expect any players to leave or join the club during this month's transfer window.
Ancelotti has declared himself happy with the current squad at his disposal, quashing speculation linking the likes of Angel Di Maria with January moves away from Madrid.
A cluster of Premier League clubs – including champions Manchester United, leaders Arsenal and Chelsea – are rumoured to be monitoring the winger's potential availability, while midfielder Xabi Alonso has been tipped to make a return to Liverpool.
However, Ancelotti has ruled out any transfer activity at the Bernabeu over the coming weeks.
"No players are leaving and we aren't going to sign anyone. The market is closed for us," Ancelotti is quoted as saying by Marca.
Alonso is out of contract at the end of the season, but Ancelotti has again stated his desire to keep hold of the 32-year-old and is confident that progress is being made in negotiations over a new deal.
He added: "I think we'll find a solution to Xabi Alonso's situation and both club and player will reach an agreement."
Lionel Messi could make his return from injury when La Liga leaders Barcelona kick off 2014 with a home game against Elche.
Four-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi has not played for almost two months after sustaining a hamstring injury in a 4-1 win at Real Betis on November 10.
But the Argentine superstar returned to training this week and will hope to play some part on Sunday, particularly with a huge game against second-placed Atletico Madrid to come next weekend.
Barcelona are also likely to welcome back goalkeeper Victor Valdes for the visit of Elche.
Valdes, who is set to leave the club at the end of the season, is available again following his recovery from a calf problem and is in line to replace Jose Manuel Pinto.
However, Sergio Busquets is banned after picking up his fifth booking of the season in the 5-2 win at Getafe prior to Spain's mid-season break.
That victory represented Barcelona's fifth in succession across all competitions and the Catalan club have dropped only five points in Liga this season.
In contrast, Elche have won just four league games and begin the new year two points above the relegation zone in 14th.
Elche are missing two players - Damian Suarez and Coro - through suspension and will be huge underdogs to take anything from Camp Nou in their first top-flight season since 1989.
Fran Escriba's men have lost four of their previous five matches and boast only one victory in 10 - a 2-1 triumph over Valencia on November 24.
Barcelona head into Sunday's match having won a remarkable 23 Liga games in succession on home soil, firing in 80 goals in the process.
Addressing the media on Friday, Escriba acknowledged his side face the stiffest of challenges, but called for a positive approach.
"We have to be brave and try to find the goal because it is difficult to think that they (Barcelona) will not score," he said.
Fran Escriba has reflected that Elche believe they can get a result at Barcelona, even if he admits their chances are slim.
The Valencian side return to League action on Sunday afternoon with a tricky trip to the Camp Nou, very much as the underdogs to take anything away from the Catalans, a team they have never beaten in La Liga on the road.
“This is the game that we want to play and, even as we recognise it will be very difficult, it will not be impossible to score points,” began Escriba in his pre-match conference today.
“If we thought otherwise, then we would not be playing football. We know we have only a small chance, but we will try to take something away.
“We must play a great game and see that they do not have their chances, as if they do it will be almost impossible to get a result.
“We have to be very strong in defence and must try to be effective in front of goal, whilst we know that this is easy to say and very difficult to capture on a field against a team as powerful as Barcelona.
“But, the players will go out on to the field with that ambition. We have to play this like any other game, leaving everything on the field and taking the chances that are presented to us.”
Lionel Messi is back to full training, whilst Victor Valdes has received medical clearance ahead of this game.
“That they have recovered is not good news for us, although Barcelona is just as good a team without them as they are with them. Honestly, I am not concerned if they play.
“I see this Barcelona as level with that of Guardiola. They have been without the best player in the world and have continued adding points.
“We must try to be brave, even as they have many alternatives to be able to break the scoreline at any moment. We should not think about taking a draw from the kick-off, because for sure we will lose.”
Friday January 3 2014
Pizzi wants attacking reinforcements
By Football Espana staff
Juan Antonio Pizzi has admitted he would like to strengthen Valencia in attack, whilst he expects the team to ‘immediately’ look to be ‘protagonists’.
The Coach today held his first pre-match Press conference ahead of Los Che’s derby at home to city rivals Levante, and was pressed more on how the team may play under him, than on their opponents.
“The intention should be immediate. The results are something else,” considered Pizzi in response to questions on style.
“The vocation of being protagonists should be immediate because there is no transition. We want to have that role.
“The evolution of the team will be permanent, so it is difficult to put a date on my style being determined.
“I think we have not been too demanding [in training] and yes we have been balanced. We are in a week of study, with care and safe passage. I do not think things have been very intense.
“I need the best efforts of the players so as to have the team perform.”
Speculation is centred on the club’s possible activities in the transfer window this month.
“We have very little time. It is natural that we will look to strengthen and where I would like to have more options is in attack.
“Offensively, any player who can provide us with an alternative to what we have. Regarding those leaving there won’t be any, or few, because I have not thought about releasing any player, because we do not have many spare players to get rid of.”
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) Barcelona and Atletico Madrid resume their quest for the Spanish league title after a two-week winter break.
The teams share the league lead with identical records of 15 wins, one draw and one loss. Real Madrid trails by five points.
Here are five things to know about this weekend's matches:
___
WAITING FOR MESSI
When Barcelona hosts Elche on Sunday, most of the eyes at Camp Nou will be looking for Lionel Messi either in the dugout or the stands.
Messi has been at home in Argentina healing a left hamstring he tore on Nov. 10. The club's all-time leading scorer is expected to return to the Catalan capital and train again with his teammates later on Thursday, but the team may not rush him onto the field against promoted Elche considering he has had three muscle injuries this season.
"We know that he is coming back fit," Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta said. "We will now see how quickly he picks up training again. It's great news for us as far as his importance to our level of play and the intimidation factor he brings."
Neymar will return for Barcelona after a one-game suspension for accumulation of yellow cards. Goalkeeper Victor Valdes may also rejoin his team after a long injury layoff.
Elche, back in the first division after a 25-year hiatus, has never won at Barcelona in 19 league visits.
___
AND FOR BALE
Real Madrid hopes it can get Gareth Bale back for Monday's home match against Celta Vigo.
Bale missed Madrid's final two games of 2013 with a knock on his left leg and has been left off the squad for Thursday's friendly against Paris Saint-Germain in Doha.
Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti had said that Bale was expected back two weeks ago for its trip to Valencia, but Bale didn't make it in time.
Bale, who joined Madrid for a world record transfer fee, last played in its 2-2 draw at Osasuna on Dec. 14.
Celta is in 16th place, but has more road wins (3) than at home (1).
___
COSTA VS. CABALLERO
Diego Costa will aim to add to his league-leading 19 goals this season when Atletico visits Malaga on Saturday.
To do so, he will have to beat Malaga's Willy Caballero, one of the league's best goalkeepers.
Costa has scored five goals in the last four rounds and leads Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo by one in their scoring duel.
An Atletico win will give the team the provisional lead. Malaga, however, has improved of late and is unbeaten in three rounds and with wins in the last two, relieving some pressure on coach Bernd Schuster.
Atletico coach Diego Simeone has the safest job in Spain after forging the team into a legitimate title contender.
"With our effort, we hope that this year we can continue to make our fans happy to belong to Atletico Madrid," Simeone said.
___
BASQUE BATTLE
Real Sociedad hosts Athletic Bilbao on Sunday in a Basque Country derby will both battling for Spain's final Champions League spot.
Bilbao enters in fourth place and with four wins in a five-game unbeaten run. Sociedad has improved after its exit from the Champions League and has only one defeat at Anoeta Stadium in league play this season.
It has only lost once in its last nine league games and has risen into fifth place four points behind Bilbao.
Sociedad is led by French forward Antoine Griezmann and his 11 goals, making him the league's third leading scorer.
___
PIZZI DEBUTS
Juan Antonio Pizzi will debut as Valencia coach on Saturday at home against crosstown rival Levante.
Pizzi inherits a Valencia side in 11th place and level on points with Levante both only five points from the relegation zone and far from the club's goal of making a top-four finish and returning to the Champions League.
"We have to set ourselves shorter-term goals that are more realistic, while not discarding that final objective," Pizzi said at his presentation.
Pizzi, a former Argentine forward, played for Valencia, Barcelona, Villarreal and Tenerife. He replaces the fired Miroslav Djukic.
La Liga Wrap: Atletico Madrid, Valencia start 2014 with victories
5 January 2014
Atletico Madrid made the perfect start to 2014 with a 1-0 victory over Malaga to return to the top of the Liga table.
On a frustrating night for Diego Simeone's side, they had to wait until the 70th minute before they could get the breakthrough from Koke.
Malaga were quite happy to sit back, allowing the visitors to have possession and hit them on the counter attack - but Atletico's pressure eventually told with the 21-year-old midfielder's third league goal of the season.
The win moves Atletico three points clear at the top of the league, with Barcelona able to retake top spot if they beat Elche on Sunday.
Valencia returned to winning ways against local rivals Levante as they recorded a 2-0 victory in Juan Antonio Pizzi's first game in charge.
Sofiane Feghouli missed chances in the opening minutes but Pablo Piatti made no mistake in the 42nd minute with the game's opening goal.
Feghouli and Helder Postiga wasted chances to double their lead in the second half, but Feghouli finally found the back of the next in the 73rd minute to seal their first win in three matches with his first goal of the season.
Real Betis missed the chance to close the gap at the bottom of the table as they were held to a 0-0 draw by Real Valladolid.
The draw means Juan Garrido's side have not won in their past 11 league matches and are five points from safety having played a game more than their rivals.
Elsewhere, Almeria recorded back-to-back wins for only the second time this season with a 3-0 victory over Granada.
A 14th minute strike from Sebastian Dubarbier and a Verza penalty just before the half hour put Almeria 2-0 ahead at the break, and Aleix Vidal secured the win with a third with 11 minutes to play as Francisco's side move three places up the table.
Gareth Bale is in line to make his Real Madrid return in Monday's La Liga home clash with Celta Vigo.
The Welshman, who has scored nine goals in 15 appearances for Real since his world-record move from Tottenham, missed the club's trip to Valencia in their final game before the mid-season break due to a calf injury.
However, Bale returned to full training on Friday and could go back into Carlo Ancelotti's starting XI for the visit of Luis Enrique's men to the Bernabeu.
The 24-year-old's absence did not hamper Real at Mestalla, with his replacement Angel Di Maria scoring in a 3-2 win that kept them in touch with Atletico Madrid and Barcelona - who sit eight and five points clear respectively of their fierce rivals - at the top of the table.
Barca and Atletico are the only teams to have beaten Real this season, and their last three home Liga fixtures have yielded nine points and 16 goals.
Cristiano Ronaldo was responsible for six of those strikes with hat-tricks against both Sevilla and Real Sociedad, and the Portuguese star also found the net at Mestalla to take his goal tally to 27 in 21 games in all competitions this term.
Ronaldo's compatriot Fabio Coentrao is available for the Celta game after a month out with a hamstring problem, although Raphael Varane and Sami Khedira (both knee) remain sidelined.
Celta, meanwhile, head to Madrid just one point above the relegation zone following a run of just one win in their last five league matches.
Enrique's men have picked up just four victories from their 17 Liga fixtures this season, although three of those successes have come away from home at Real Betis, Malaga and Sevilla.
However, the Galician outfit were beaten 2-0 and 4-0 in two visits to the Bernabeu last season in La Liga and the Copa del Rey, with Ronaldo scoring four times across those meetings.
Bale does not have any problems, insists Ancelotti
By Stefan Coerts6
Jan 5, 2014 1:46:00 PM
The Welshman is set to make his comeback after a spell on the sidelines, while Raphael Varane remains unavailable due to injury
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti insists Gareth Bale does not have any injury concerns and is ready to make his comeback in Monday's La Liga encounter against Celta Vigo.
The Welshman recently returned to regular training after a brief spell on the sidelines due to a calf injury and Ancelotti has now revealed that Bale has been included in the matchday squad for Monday's game at the Santiago Bernabeu.
"He will be included in the squad for the match tomorrow, but I have yet to decide if he’s going to play," the Madrid coach said at a press conference.
"He has trained this week, he’s fine, he doesn’t have any problems.
"But we might wait a bit more so as to play him at peak condition."
Meanwhile, Ancelotti has made it clear that Raphael Varane still has some way to go until his comeback.
He added: "Raphael is still recovering. The knee is responding well. In 10 to 15 days he will start training with the team."
Varane last featured for Madrid on November 9 in the league game against Real Sociedad.
This Barcelona are as good as Guardiola's, says Escriba
By Andrew Wychrij40
Jan 5, 2014 8:21:00 AM
The Elche boss insists that the Blaugrana have not dropped their standards since their former coach's departure but believes his side still have a chance of getting a result
Fran Escriba claims that Barcelona are still as formidable an opponent as they were under Pep Guardiola as Elche prepare to face the Catalans.
The Blaugrana go into Sunday's match at Camp Nou, their first league game of the New Year, looking to regain top spot in La Liga after Atletico Madrid's 1-0 win over Malaga on Saturday.
However, though the Barcelona side under Pep Guardiola has been hailed as one of club football's greatest ever, Escriba feels that the current crop of players have proven that they are no worse than they were in that period by continuing to win in the absence of Lionel Messi.
"I believe this Barcelona team is as good as Guardiola's," the 48-year-old was quoted by Marca.
"They've been without the best player in the world but have still managed to keep winning. It's an extraordinary team.
"This is one of the games you really want to play in, but we know it is going to be very tough, but not impossible to come away with any points."
Messi has not featured since Barcelona's 4-1 win over Real Betis in November and will not be fit to return against Elche after his rehabilitation from a hamstring injury, but goalkeeper Victor Valdes has been named in the squad by Gerardo Martino.
"If they recover, it won't be the best piece of news for us, but Barcelona are as good without them," Escriba responded when asked about the possibility of the duo returning.
"I really don't care if they play."
The Catalans currently sit second in La Liga with 46 points from 17 games, now three behind Diego Simeone's Atleti.
La Liga Wrap: Atletico Madrid, Valencia start 2014 with victories
5 January 2014
Atletico Madrid made the perfect start to 2014 with a 1-0 victory over Malaga to return to the top of the Liga table.
On a frustrating night for Diego Simeone's side, they had to wait until the 70th minute before they could get the breakthrough from Koke.
Malaga were quite happy to sit back, allowing the visitors to have possession and hit them on the counter attack - but Atletico's pressure eventually told with the 21-year-old midfielder's third league goal of the season.
The win moves Atletico three points clear at the top of the league, with Barcelona able to retake top spot if they beat Elche on Sunday.
Valencia returned to winning ways against local rivals Levante as they recorded a 2-0 victory in Juan Antonio Pizzi's first game in charge.
Sofiane Feghouli missed chances in the opening minutes but Pablo Piatti made no mistake in the 42nd minute with the game's opening goal.
Feghouli and Helder Postiga wasted chances to double their lead in the second half, but Feghouli finally found the back of the next in the 73rd minute to seal their first win in three matches with his first goal of the season.
Real Betis missed the chance to close the gap at the bottom of the table as they were held to a 0-0 draw by Real Valladolid.
The draw means Juan Garrido's side have not won in their past 11 league matches and are five points from safety having played a game more than their rivals.
Elsewhere, Almeria recorded back-to-back wins for only the second time this season with a 3-0 victory over Granada.
A 14th minute strike from Sebastian Dubarbier and a Verza penalty just before the half hour put Almeria 2-0 ahead at the break, and Aleix Vidal secured the win with a third with 11 minutes to play as Francisco's side move three places up the table.
