Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Schalke beats Valencia to make Champions League quarter-finals

Schalke 04 on Wednesday brushed off reports coach Felix Magath will be dismissed at the end of the season, beating Valencia 3-1 and booking their place in the Champions League quarter-finals.

Published: 10 March 2011 08:07 CET
Schalke beats Valencia to make Champions League quarter-finals
Photo: DPA

This is only the third time Schalke have reached the Champions League’s last eight and it was all the more remarkable given their lowly 10th position in the Bundesliga as they sealed a 4-2 win on aggregate.

After drawing the first-leg 1-1 in Valencia a fortnight ago, goals either side of half-time by winger Jefferson Farfán and striker Mario Gavranovic sealed the home win.

The hosts fought back after Valencia took an early lead through Ricardo Costa.

“It was hard to apply pressure from the start, but after going 1-0 down we had nothing to lose,” said Magath. “We just had to go for it.”

There was a difficult build-up as the hosts woke to reports in the German media that Magath will leave the club at the end of the season at the latest.

“The background to this game is of no interest to us, the truth was out there on the pitch,” said Magath in reference to the headlines. “It’s not interesting for me what the papers say. I have a contract until 2013.”

Magath, who has won the Bundesliga as coach of both Bayern Munich and VfL Wolfsburg, has steered his team to this season’s German Cup final in May and now the last eight of the Champions League.

But the Royal Blues have had a disappointing Bundesliga campaign and are currently 31 points adrift of leaders Borussia Dortmund.

The Schalke faithful have begun to despair of the authoritarian Magath, but there were only smiles at Schalke’s Veltins Arena after the win over the Spaniards.

Valencia took the lead when former Wolfsburg defender Costa scored with a nearly header on 17 minutes.

But Schalke drew level when Peruvian winger Farfán curled his free-kick into the top right-hand corner on 40 minutes.

The Royal Blues then took a 3-2 lead on aggregate when Swiss striker Mario Gavranovic – deputising for the injured Klaas-Jan Huntelaar – marked his Champions League debut with his first goal for the club on 52 minutes.

Gavranovic squandered a golden chance to put the result beyond doubt when he fired wide in the 80th minute with the goal at his mercy.

But Farfán put the result beyond doubt as he netted in the 94th minute after Schalke had dominated the closing stages of the game.

Schalke’s Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer was again outstanding and kept his team in the game with a string of saves.

AFP/ka

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.

FEATURE

REMINDER: What are the new Covid restrictions in Spain’s Valencia region?

If you live in or are soon visiting Alicante, Valencia or Castellón, these are the new eased restrictions for the coastal region starting on Monday May 24th 2021.

Published: 24 May 2021 14:13 CEST
REMINDER: What are the new Covid restrictions in Spain's Valencia region?
Photo: Jose Jordán/AFP

The Comunidad Valenciana’s persistently low infection rate – currently 20 cases per 100,000 people over the past 14 days – has allowed regional authorities to ease coronavirus restrictions, some of the strictest in Spain since the start of the third wave in January.

Here’s what you need to know if you’re living in or visiting the Valencia region soon. 

Curfew

The curfew will remain in place in the region after May 24th but it will start later than previously, at 1am instead of midnight. That means that except for exceptional reasons, nobody can be outdoors from 1am to 6am. 

Valencian regional president Ximo Puig has stressed that if the epidemiological situation remains stable, the curfew – or toque de queda in Spanish – will be lifted as of June 7th.

Bars, cafés and restaurants

From Monday 24th, bars, restaurants and cafés can stay open until 12.30 am, one hour later than the previous closing time.

A capacity of 50 percent is allowed inside the premises and 100 percent on outdoor terraces. 

Sitting at the bar, smoking (including electronic cigarettes or hookahs) and dancing  indoors or outdoors are still prohibited.

Family and social gatherings

A limit of 10 people is established in public spaces both outdoors and indoors, except in the case of people who are living under the same roof. 

Inside homes and other private use spaces, the limit of 10 people also applies and only people from two households can gather.

Beaches and nature

The use of the mask is still mandatory when walking around on beaches, around swimming pools, lakes and other natural spaces.

However, as long as you can keep a distance of 1.5 metres with others, you will be allowed to take off your mask while sunbathing or sitting in one spot at the beach. 

If you’re going for a dip in the sea, you don’t have to wear a mask as it’s incompatible with swimming, whereas if you’re going for a stroll along the shore you do have to keep your mask on. 

Groups at the beach, swimming pool or in nature cannot exceed ten people.

Celebrations and events

The capacity is increased up to 75 percent for activities relating to celebrations, events or gatherings of a sporting, cultural or social nature, as well as for political rallies.

In churches and other places of worship it’s still important to abide by a safe distance of 1.5 metres between gatherers.

In enclosed spaces, a maximum of 3,000 people are allowed, while in open spaces, the limit is set at 4,000 people. 

In both cases, the capacity has to be separated into groups of 1,000 people each.

 In addition, eating and drinking will only be allowed in areas specially enabled for this purpose.

READ ALSO: 

How Spain’s Valencia region achieved one of Europe’s lowest infection rates

SHOW COMMENTS