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Valencia

Valencia news

Rafa Mir

Mir pleads innocence amid 10-year prison threat

The legal team representing Rafa Mir has taken a firm stance by requesting that his upcoming trial be held in public, directly opposing the prosecution's preference for closed-door sessions. Under the guidance of lawyer Jaime Campaner, the defence argues that there is no justification for a private trial and insists on the importance of public scrutiny regarding the evidence presented by the prosecution.

Elche CF v Rayo Vallecano de Madrid - LaLiga EA Sports

La Liga striker facing over 10 years in prison for alleged rape

Elche striker Rafa Mir is facing a potential 10-and-a-half-year prison sentence following a severe escalation in his ongoing legal battle. Spanish prosecutors have formalised their request for jail time in relation to an alleged sexual assault involving a 21-year-old woman in September 2024. The forward, who was on loan at Valencia at the time of the incident, now awaits a trial that could end his professional career.

Gary Neville Valencia GFX

'Worst coach ever' - Inside Neville's doomed Valencia tenure

Gary Neville thought taking the Valencia job in December 2015 would begin his route to eventually becoming England manager; instead, his four-month stint in Spain drained his confidence, made him ill and put him off coaching for life. Neville's was a shock appointment as the former Manchester United defender took over one of the biggest clubs in La Liga despite having no club coaching experience, little knowledge of Spanish football and no grasp of the language.

Frequently asked questions

A group of workers from the Woolwich Arsenal Armanent Factory, who called themselves Dial Square, formed a football team in 1886. They would later rename themselves to Royal Arsenal in the same year. In 1893, the club was renamed to Woolwich Arsenal, before finally being named just Arsenal in 1919, six years after they moved to Highbury.

American billionaire Enos Stanley Kroenke is the owner of Arsenal, purchasing the club via Arsenal Holdings Limited, a subsidiary of Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (KSE).

The Emirates Stadium is the name of Arsenal's stadium. It has been the team's home ground since 2006, replacing Highbury, which served as Arsenal's home venue from 1913.

The Emirates Stadium has a capacity of 60,704 and is among the UK's biggest football venues.

Arsenal have won 48 trophies till date, including 13 league titles and a record 14 FA Cups.

Arsenal have 13 English top flight titles to their name, making them the third-most successful team behind Man Utd and Liverpool. They, however, won their last title over two decades ago.

London-born Irish defender David O'Leary sits at the top of the list for most Arsenal appearances in history. O'Leary spent 18 years at the club and made 722 appearances in all competitions, ahead of Tony Adams, George Armstrong, and Lee Dixon.

Thierry Henry is Arsenal's leading goalscorer of all-time with 228 goals in 377 games. No other Arsenal player has scored over 200 goals for the club, with Ian Wright sitting in second place (185 goals in 288 games).

Thierry Henry, Cesc Fabregas, Dennis Bergkamp, Mesut Ozil, Robert Pires, and Robin van Persie are among the popular footballing names to have played for Arsenal.

Arsene Wenger, Unai Emery, George Graham, and Herbert Chapman are among the biggest names to have been in charge of Arsenal throughout their notable history.

Arsenal have a pretty unique nickname, called The Gunners. This nickname is a reference to the club's origins in the late 19th century, when a group of workers from the Royal Arsenal armanent factory in Woolwich formed the club. That's also the reason why the Arsenal badge includes a cannon.