(no subject)
Sorry for not updating at all this season! Sid Lowe posted an interesting Valencia-related article on Monday that I thought should be shared, so here you go!
Valencia grateful for the awe-inspiring improvement of Ever Banega
In the summer they tried to give him away, but the Argentinian is now regarded among Los Ches' best players
Sid Lowe
The Guardian (The Sport Blog)
8 February 2010
No one would touch Ever Banega. Except Ever Banega. You'd think he was highly contagious, struck down by a particularly nasty bout of bubonic plague, a huge red X splashed across his front door as the fearful scurried by, clutching hankies to their faces, nervously crossing themselves, holding their breath until they were a safe distance away. You'd think he was a hand grenade with the pin pulled, a pass-the-parcel packed with poison, a copy of Socialist Worker or the Watchtower. Valencia had given him to Atlético Madrid and Atlético had given him straight back. Now Valencia were desperately trying to give him to someone else, anyone else. But everyone just dashed past shaking their heads. No one else wanted him, no one else dared.
No one else who counted, anyway. No one who could touch Banega, would touch Banega. No one, in other words, who Banega would let touch him. Last summer Real Madrid came for David Villa clutching €40m (£35m). Barcelona followed waving €42, and another €20m for Juan Mata. Juventus turned up in a truck with €25m in the back, asking after David Silva. And there was even €16m for Pablo Hernández, if they wanted it. But they didn't want it. At every turn, temptation clawed at them. €500m in debt, the pull was almost irresistible but the new president, Manolo Llorente, resisted. Over €125m worth of bids came in and only Raúl Albiol departed - sold to Madrid for €18m.
Llorente announced that Villa would only depart if Valencia received a "scandalously scandalous" offer and the coach, Unai Emery, pleaded with the club not to sell Silva, but Banega was different. Forget Madrid and Barcelona and Juventus, the teams that came for Banega were Napoli and Stuttgart and Marseille. And forget €40m, or €20m, or even the €10m buyout clause on his contract. The offers that came for Banega weren't much higher than €8m. Yet when it came to the Argentinian, Valencia decided to say yes.
Villa had begged to go; Valencia begged Banega to go. They even tried to force him to join Everton on loan. No money, just go. The reason was simple. Banega was trouble. And not that good. He was damaged goods. Sure, there had been flashes - but they were the wrong kind of flashes. There had been alcohol abuse and self abuse. One of five kids from a family he claimed was so poor they "practically ate mud", he had a face like a cartoon mouse, all protruding ears and nibbling teeth, and claimed that football had saved him. Yet he appeared an awfully long way from salvation. Part of the Argentina Under-20 squad that smashed up their hotel at the 2007 World Championship (and filmed themselves doing it), Banega left for Europe at 19, having played just 28 first division games. He was too young, he'd come too soon. No sooner had he arrived in Valencia than he was caught on a webcam performing some online onanism. Soon he was picked up by the police having jumped a red light. At 3.30 in the morning. While over the limit.
It was not an isolated incident. One week he was out on the town four nights running. He joined Atlético on loan, having signed a no-going-out clause, but still he went out. Night after night. Within the club, there was a feeling that unlike Maniche - the man who managed to lose two club suits during trips to away games (and ask yourself how you lose a suit) - he wasn't a bad kid. And, they suspected, he might not be a bad player one day. He wasn't just off the rails, he was screeching across the platform, maiming terrified commuters. He set a new club record for disciplinary fines. He was, says one observer, a cabra loca - a crazy goat. When he turned up over an hour late and "practically asleep" to a team meeting the chances of the rojiblancos exercising their right to buy finally disappeared.
"Before this season, Ever was known more for what he did off the pitch than what he did on it," commented Emery. Hardly surprising, as he'd done plenty off the pitch and precious little on it. He always wanted the ball and produced the occasional great display, but it was very occasional: he won just the one crack award. "I've done nothing to warrant them keeping me," Banega admitted of Atlético, and the same was true of Valencia. Bought as the man to finally replace Rubén Baraja, the creative force in the middle of the Valencia midfield, he'd failed like Hugo Viana, Fernandes and Edu. In two seasons he'd scored none and produced just one assist. At Atlético he made just five starts and led their stats in only one area - red cards. €18m for this? According to AS's average ratings, in his two seasons he had been Spain's 374th and 327th best player.
No wonder Emery told him Stuttgart was nice this time of year; no wonder no big clubs would touch him. But Banega wasn't for turning, telling one team-mate: "The only way I'm leaving here is in a box." The clubs didn't impress him and nor, more importantly, did his own behaviour. Something changed. Banega changed. He had a new girlfriend - described as a "sergeant major" - and a new attitude.
In pre-season training he threw himself into every session; team-mates could not believe what they were seeing. Tetchy when he was asked about alcohol, there was nonetheless a tacit admittance of his sins. "This year, I'm starting from scratch," he said. "I arrived at 19 and made mistakes. I wasted two years and have thought about things. Now I hardly ever go out." "Banega," declared José Luis Hurtado in Marca, "has had a facelift - in his brain. Everything he didn't need has been binned. There's nothing left of that lad who was run over by the league and by life."
At just 21, he'd become a new player. Just ask anyone who was at Mestalla on Saturday night as Valencia defeated Valladolid to go to the top of the other league - the one teams other than Madrid and Barcelona are allowed to play in. David Villa resuscitated a move that had already been read the last rites to help make the opening goal and got the second with a diving header, David Silva was his usual feisty, creative self and Juan Mata was a bundle of movement and missed chances. But Banega was Valencia's outstanding player, thumping in the first, wonderfully picking out Villa for the second, and running the game from deep - quick in the tackle, smooth on the ball, always available. "Banega," said Marca, "robs like an Italian, shoots like a German, and plays like the Argentinian he is."
Not just on Saturday night, every night. On the opening day, El País's headline noted that Mestalla had "discovered Banega" - 18 months after he joined the club - and he's carried on from there. He's already doubled his career total of goals. Outside Madrid and Barcelona only one player has completed more passes. No one in the Valencia side - a side that boasts Pablo, Villa, Silva, Mata and Joaquín - has completed more dribbles. Only four players have more assists than him. And he's even among the players who commit the most fouls. He is, in short, the complete central midfielder. It's no coincidence that when Emery has removed him to play more defensively or protect a lead, he's paid for it: twice Banega has been withdrawn late on with the score at 2-1 only for Valencia to draw 2-2, and he was mysteriously left out as Valencia travelled to Sevilla last week. And lost.
It was a terrible decision. When Banega refused to leave, Valencia were furious; six months later their former sporting director Amadeo Carboni insists: "Banega is the most important player in the squad. He dictates the pace of the game, he gives assists, he organises the play from deep, he runs the game." In the summer, the only one who would touch Ever Banega was, famously, Ever Banega. Now Valencia are holding him tight - and this time they're not about to let go.
Source: The Guardian (Sport Blog)
Valencia grateful for the awe-inspiring improvement of Ever Banega
In the summer they tried to give him away, but the Argentinian is now regarded among Los Ches' best players
Sid Lowe
The Guardian (The Sport Blog)
8 February 2010
No one would touch Ever Banega. Except Ever Banega. You'd think he was highly contagious, struck down by a particularly nasty bout of bubonic plague, a huge red X splashed across his front door as the fearful scurried by, clutching hankies to their faces, nervously crossing themselves, holding their breath until they were a safe distance away. You'd think he was a hand grenade with the pin pulled, a pass-the-parcel packed with poison, a copy of Socialist Worker or the Watchtower. Valencia had given him to Atlético Madrid and Atlético had given him straight back. Now Valencia were desperately trying to give him to someone else, anyone else. But everyone just dashed past shaking their heads. No one else wanted him, no one else dared.
No one else who counted, anyway. No one who could touch Banega, would touch Banega. No one, in other words, who Banega would let touch him. Last summer Real Madrid came for David Villa clutching €40m (£35m). Barcelona followed waving €42, and another €20m for Juan Mata. Juventus turned up in a truck with €25m in the back, asking after David Silva. And there was even €16m for Pablo Hernández, if they wanted it. But they didn't want it. At every turn, temptation clawed at them. €500m in debt, the pull was almost irresistible but the new president, Manolo Llorente, resisted. Over €125m worth of bids came in and only Raúl Albiol departed - sold to Madrid for €18m.
Llorente announced that Villa would only depart if Valencia received a "scandalously scandalous" offer and the coach, Unai Emery, pleaded with the club not to sell Silva, but Banega was different. Forget Madrid and Barcelona and Juventus, the teams that came for Banega were Napoli and Stuttgart and Marseille. And forget €40m, or €20m, or even the €10m buyout clause on his contract. The offers that came for Banega weren't much higher than €8m. Yet when it came to the Argentinian, Valencia decided to say yes.
Villa had begged to go; Valencia begged Banega to go. They even tried to force him to join Everton on loan. No money, just go. The reason was simple. Banega was trouble. And not that good. He was damaged goods. Sure, there had been flashes - but they were the wrong kind of flashes. There had been alcohol abuse and self abuse. One of five kids from a family he claimed was so poor they "practically ate mud", he had a face like a cartoon mouse, all protruding ears and nibbling teeth, and claimed that football had saved him. Yet he appeared an awfully long way from salvation. Part of the Argentina Under-20 squad that smashed up their hotel at the 2007 World Championship (and filmed themselves doing it), Banega left for Europe at 19, having played just 28 first division games. He was too young, he'd come too soon. No sooner had he arrived in Valencia than he was caught on a webcam performing some online onanism. Soon he was picked up by the police having jumped a red light. At 3.30 in the morning. While over the limit.
It was not an isolated incident. One week he was out on the town four nights running. He joined Atlético on loan, having signed a no-going-out clause, but still he went out. Night after night. Within the club, there was a feeling that unlike Maniche - the man who managed to lose two club suits during trips to away games (and ask yourself how you lose a suit) - he wasn't a bad kid. And, they suspected, he might not be a bad player one day. He wasn't just off the rails, he was screeching across the platform, maiming terrified commuters. He set a new club record for disciplinary fines. He was, says one observer, a cabra loca - a crazy goat. When he turned up over an hour late and "practically asleep" to a team meeting the chances of the rojiblancos exercising their right to buy finally disappeared.
"Before this season, Ever was known more for what he did off the pitch than what he did on it," commented Emery. Hardly surprising, as he'd done plenty off the pitch and precious little on it. He always wanted the ball and produced the occasional great display, but it was very occasional: he won just the one crack award. "I've done nothing to warrant them keeping me," Banega admitted of Atlético, and the same was true of Valencia. Bought as the man to finally replace Rubén Baraja, the creative force in the middle of the Valencia midfield, he'd failed like Hugo Viana, Fernandes and Edu. In two seasons he'd scored none and produced just one assist. At Atlético he made just five starts and led their stats in only one area - red cards. €18m for this? According to AS's average ratings, in his two seasons he had been Spain's 374th and 327th best player.
No wonder Emery told him Stuttgart was nice this time of year; no wonder no big clubs would touch him. But Banega wasn't for turning, telling one team-mate: "The only way I'm leaving here is in a box." The clubs didn't impress him and nor, more importantly, did his own behaviour. Something changed. Banega changed. He had a new girlfriend - described as a "sergeant major" - and a new attitude.
In pre-season training he threw himself into every session; team-mates could not believe what they were seeing. Tetchy when he was asked about alcohol, there was nonetheless a tacit admittance of his sins. "This year, I'm starting from scratch," he said. "I arrived at 19 and made mistakes. I wasted two years and have thought about things. Now I hardly ever go out." "Banega," declared José Luis Hurtado in Marca, "has had a facelift - in his brain. Everything he didn't need has been binned. There's nothing left of that lad who was run over by the league and by life."
At just 21, he'd become a new player. Just ask anyone who was at Mestalla on Saturday night as Valencia defeated Valladolid to go to the top of the other league - the one teams other than Madrid and Barcelona are allowed to play in. David Villa resuscitated a move that had already been read the last rites to help make the opening goal and got the second with a diving header, David Silva was his usual feisty, creative self and Juan Mata was a bundle of movement and missed chances. But Banega was Valencia's outstanding player, thumping in the first, wonderfully picking out Villa for the second, and running the game from deep - quick in the tackle, smooth on the ball, always available. "Banega," said Marca, "robs like an Italian, shoots like a German, and plays like the Argentinian he is."
Not just on Saturday night, every night. On the opening day, El País's headline noted that Mestalla had "discovered Banega" - 18 months after he joined the club - and he's carried on from there. He's already doubled his career total of goals. Outside Madrid and Barcelona only one player has completed more passes. No one in the Valencia side - a side that boasts Pablo, Villa, Silva, Mata and Joaquín - has completed more dribbles. Only four players have more assists than him. And he's even among the players who commit the most fouls. He is, in short, the complete central midfielder. It's no coincidence that when Emery has removed him to play more defensively or protect a lead, he's paid for it: twice Banega has been withdrawn late on with the score at 2-1 only for Valencia to draw 2-2, and he was mysteriously left out as Valencia travelled to Sevilla last week. And lost.
It was a terrible decision. When Banega refused to leave, Valencia were furious; six months later their former sporting director Amadeo Carboni insists: "Banega is the most important player in the squad. He dictates the pace of the game, he gives assists, he organises the play from deep, he runs the game." In the summer, the only one who would touch Ever Banega was, famously, Ever Banega. Now Valencia are holding him tight - and this time they're not about to let go.
Source: The Guardian (Sport Blog)