Valencia’s worst fears have been realised with goalkeeper Diego Alves set to be sidelined for at least six months with a serious right knee injury.
The Brazil international got hurt during his team’s final game of the season, a 3-2 triumph at Almeria on Saturday, and will have to go under the knife.
Alves, who was set to play for Brazil at the Copa America next month, is expected to be sidelined until November. The 29-year-old will miss the start of the 2015-16 campaign and the preliminary round of the Champions League.
Alves has kept 13 clean sheets in 37 matches this season.
Betis promoted
Real Betis are celebrating after bouncing straight back to the Primera Division following last season’s relegation. The Seville outfit became the first club to gain promotion with a 3-0 home victory over Alcorcon.
The result sealed top spot in the Segunda Division with two rounds remaining.
“My players deserve it,” Betis coach Pepe Mel said.
“We are delighted to be back in the Primera Division. Now we need to work on making sure we don’t go down again.”
With three teams joining the top flight, Girona are second, two points clear of Sporting Gijon and on course to clinch the second automatic promotion spot.
Bruce predicts Hull City exodus
Steve Bruce expects several of his players will want to leave Hull City following their relegation to the Championship.
Hull were relegated on Sunday following their goalless draw with Manchester United.
Bruce spent over £40m on new players this season.
“There are a lot of players who won’t want to play here,” the Hull boss said.
“They will want to play in the Premier League, but some won’t have the opportunity. It’s a time to take stock now and make sure you are strong enough to mount a challenge.”
Boca stunned in empty Bombonera
Boca Juniors’ woes, the product of their Libertadores Cup fracas, continued with a shock 3-0 defeat by modest Aldosivi at an empty La Bombonera on Sunday.
The defeat, Boca’s first in 13 league matches, denied them sole leadership of the standings which they now share on 28 points with San Lorenzo.
Boca, playing behind closed doors and unable to draw on the normally passionate atmosphere of their cavernous stronghold, were a pale shadow of the team that had held a three-point lead at the top of the table.
Italy striker Dani Osvaldo botched a chance to give Boca a 31st-minute equaliser when he put his penalty wide.
Bilic linked with West Ham Utd job
Besiktas coach Slaven Bilic said he will leave the club at the end of the season as media speculation grew that he may replace Sam Allardyce as West Ham United manager.
“I won’t be Besiktas’s manager next season. I’m proud of what I’ve done here,” Bilic told reporters after Sunday’s 2-0 derby loss to Galatasaray saw Besiktas miss out on Champions League qualification.
“As I said before, I am the first one who is going to take responsibility for not winning the league for two years. I have already made my decision.”
A fan favourite, Bilic has been working with Besiktas since June 2013. The 46-year-old spent a little more than a year at Upton Park as a player from 1996.
Second player death in Argentina
Atletico Parana defender Cristian Gomez died on his way to hospital after collapsing on the pitch during a match on Sunday, the second such death to hit Argentine soccer this month.
Matches in all divisions had resumed last weekend after being suspended the week before following the death of a 21-year-old player on May 14.
The 27-year-old Gomez fell unconscious after half an hour of the second-tier match against Boca Unidos in Corrientes.
Emanuel Ortega, a defender with San Martin de Burzaco, died in hospital 10 days ago after failing to come out of a coma since sustaining injuries when he smashed his head on a concrete wall surrounding the pitch during a match 11 days earlier.
Aussie squad
Australia coach Ange Postecoglou rewarded his Asian Cup-winning side by naming 19 of the 23 players that helped them to the title in January for their 2018 World Cup qualifying opener against Kyrgyzstan next month.
Postecoglou recalled forward Tim Cahill, defender Matthew Spiranovic and goalkeeper Eugene Galekovic after they missed recent friendlies against Germany and Macedonia.
“We’ve selected a relatively settled squad that brought success at the Asian Cup but also the core of players that will take us through to the next World Cup,” Postecoglou said.
“This is the start of the next chapter in our journey and we are all excited about what lies ahead over the next two years.”