MADRID: Sevilla piled more misery on rock-bottom Valencia as midfielder Juan Iglesias’s 81st minute strike gave them a 1-0 La Liga victory on Friday.

It was a fourth defeat in five games for Valencia this season, who also suffered the humiliation of Barcelona midfielder Rodri being caught on camera calling them “very weak” during last weekend’s 5-0 drubbing against the Spanish champions.

Rodri came under fire in the Spanish press, which accused him of being disrespectful, but broadcaster Movistar had used a lip-reader to decipher Rodri’s comments to team-mates Pau Cubarsi and Raphinha.

It is more than 20 years since Valencia won the last of their six La Liga titles and reached back-to-back Champions League finals.

Their lustre has dimmed since then and they have not even qualified for Europe in seven years.

Published in Dawn, September 13th, 2026