Legendary Italian midfielder Gennaro Gattuso has a new head coaching gig. According to multiple reports, Gattuso will take over the struggling La Liga giants Valencia CF.

Gattuso, who has been out of a job since leaving Napoli last summer, will reportedly ink a contract through 2024 with the Spanish side.

Valencia CF has won the La Liga seven times and has eight Copa del Rey trophies. They won the cup as recently as 2018-19 when they also finished fourth in the domestic league and secured UEFA Champions League appearance.

However, since moving on from head coach Marcelino early in 2019-2020, the club struggled to find any sense of continuity. They changed four different head coaches in the past three seasons and failed to finish better than 9th place in La Liga.

Gennaro Gattuso started his managerial career with Swiss side Sion while he was still an active player. He then spent time with Palermo, OFI Crete, and Pisa before stints with Seria A heavyweights AC Milan and Napoli.

Following his departure from Napoli, Gattuso signed a deal with Fiorentina to lead the club in the 2021-22 season. However, the agreement would go on to be nixed before Gattuso even started the job. He was later linked with the Tottenham Hotspur vacancy but missed out on the gig after fans campaigned against his hiring.

The post Italy Legend Gennaro Gattuso Takes Over as Valencia CF Head Coach appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Champions League Round of 16 matchups are just around the corner. The first legs of this knockout round will start up next week with some high-profile games.

Let’s take a look at the pairings for this year’s edition of the Round of 16 and predict a winner for each one.

Atletico Madrid vs. Liverpool

The reigning champions of the tournament certainly didn’t get an easy draw here, as Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid are always up for a good battle.

However, with Los Colchoneros floundering without Diego Costa and Joao Felix and Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool dominating any team that happens to wind up in front of them throughout this entire season, we think Liverpool will move on.

Pick: Liverpool

Borussia Dortmund vs. Paris Saint-Germain

One of the most promising Round of 16 matchups comes between Borussia Dortmund and PSG, two teams full of young stars.

Borussia Dortmund could end up escaping through if Erling Haaland and Jadon Sancho give them an edge after the matchup’s first leg in Germany, but I ultimately think that the combination of Kylian Mbappe and Neymar, who has never played as well as he is now, will be too much for the Dortmund defense.

Pick: PSG

Atalanta vs. Valencia

Who would have ever expected a Round of 16 tie between these two teams?

Valencia, who shocked many by winning their group in the group stage of the tournament, got a favorable draw against Atalanta in the first knockout round. Los Che have been inconsistent under Albert Celades, but we think that their quality is a bit too much for Atalanta to handle.

Pick: Valencia

Tottenham Hotspur vs. RB Leipzig

Perhaps the biggest “pick ’em” of the Round of 16 is this clash between last year’s finalists in Tottenham against RB Leipzig.

The German side might surprise many who aren’t familiar with their quality. Dani Olmo and Timo Werner will have a big chance to shine on a world stage in this tie, and we think that they will pull off the upset against a disheveled Spurs side.

Pick: RB Leipzig

Chelsea vs. Bayern Munich

Two European giants meet up in this juicy Round of 16 matchup, as Bayern will look to solidify its status as one of the tournament favorites.

Chelsea barely escaped from the group stage, and the uber-talented German champions will be out for blood. While Frank Lampard’s tenure at the Blues might be off to a promising start, we think that Bayern’s quality and experience are too much for them to handle.

Pick: Bayern Munich

Napoli vs. FC Barcelona

Barcelona meets up against Napoli in this Round of 16 matchup with some genuine upset potential.

The Catalans are still getting used to playing under new manager Quique Setien, but have shown signs of improvement lately. Leo Messi is still Leo Messi, and we think that they will move on to the next round with the help of a little bit of magic from the diminutive Argentinian.

Pick: Barcelona

Olympique Lyon vs. Juventus

After last year’s disappointing early exit at the hands of upstart Ajax, Cristiano Ronaldo’s Juventus will look to avoid another upset at the hands of Lyon.

The Old Lady has one of world soccer’s best collections of talent, and it seems inevitable that they will cruise past their Ligue 1 opposition. Could a huge upset be in the cards, though? We doubt it.

Pick: Juventus

Real Madrid vs. Manchester City

Arguably the most intriguing Round of 16 matchup is this one between Champions League giants Real Madrid and Manchester City, the team that has been chasing this title for the better part of the past decade.

Zinedine Zidane’s Blancos got off to a slow start this season, but have taken flight over the past couple of months. Leading La Liga and getting outstanding performances from Karim Benzema and the ageless Sergio Ramos, we think that they will pull off the upset against Pep Guardiola’s Man City, which isn’t the squad it once was.

Pick: Real Madrid

The post Predicting the Champions League Round of 16 Matchups appeared first on SportzBonanza.

After weeks of speculation and a heated battle involving Valencia and West Ham United, Uruguayan striker Maxi Gómez has finally found a new home.

Gómez traveled from his native country to Valencia on Thursday to complete a physical with Valencia and officially sign a new contract to join the Champions League club on a five-year deal.

Valencia acquired Gómez from Celta Vigo, where he spent the past two seasons, racking up a total of 31 goals and 10 assists with the Galician club in 71 games. What makes his performance even more impressive with Celta was the young age at which he produced, as he joined the La Liga club at only 21 years old.

Celta will reportedly receive Valencia forward Santi Mina and upwards of $15 million, along with a loan for center back Jorge Sáenz, as compensation for Gómez’s acquisition.

Valencia beat out Premier League side West Ham United for Gómez’s signature, as the prolific striker reportedly preferred the opportunity to participate in the Champions League and to remain in La Liga over West Ham’s higher money offer.

The soon-to-be 23-year-old is expected to slot into Valencia’s lineup immediately and become a key part of their offensive attack.

The post Uruguay International Maxi Gómez Joins Valencia in Blockbuster Transfer appeared first on SportzBonanza.

In the two first legs of the Europa League’s semi-final matchups, Arsenal grabbed an important home win and Chelsea picked up a valuable road draw.

Arsenal faced Valencia at home in the first leg of the teams’ matchup, and they left Emirates Stadium happy with a 3-1 victory.

Valencia tasted first blood after Mouctar Diakhaby scored a 10th-minute goal to give his team a 0-1 lead. Arsenal then scored three of its own, however, with Alexandre Lacazette bagging a brace before halftime.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored a stoppage-time goal to sentence the encounter with a 3-1 final.

In the Chelsea matchup, they drew 1-1 with Eintracht Frankfurt on the road.

Eintracht Frankfurt found the net first when talented striker Luka Jovic scored in the 21st minute, but then Chelsea found the net after a Pedro goal to tie the game up just before the half.

The game ended with this 1-1 result, putting Chelsea in a favorable position to win and advance to the final in Baku.

The second leg of the matchups will be played next Thursday in Valencia and London, respectively.

The post Arsenal Wins, Chelsea Draws in Europa League Semi-Finals appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Legendary Italian midfielder Gennaro Gattuso has a new head coaching gig. According to multiple reports, Gattuso will take over the struggling La Liga giants Valencia CF.

Gattuso, who has been out of a job since leaving Napoli last summer, will reportedly ink a contract through 2024 with the Spanish side.

Valencia CF has won the La Liga seven times and has eight Copa del Rey trophies. They won the cup as recently as 2018-19 when they also finished fourth in the domestic league and secured UEFA Champions League appearance.

However, since moving on from head coach Marcelino early in 2019-2020, the club struggled to find any sense of continuity. They changed four different head coaches in the past three seasons and failed to finish better than 9th place in La Liga.

Gennaro Gattuso started his managerial career with Swiss side Sion while he was still an active player. He then spent time with Palermo, OFI Crete, and Pisa before stints with Seria A heavyweights AC Milan and Napoli.

Following his departure from Napoli, Gattuso signed a deal with Fiorentina to lead the club in the 2021-22 season. However, the agreement would go on to be nixed before Gattuso even started the job. He was later linked with the Tottenham Hotspur vacancy but missed out on the gig after fans campaigned against his hiring.

The post Italy Legend Gennaro Gattuso Takes Over as Valencia CF Head Coach appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Champions League Round of 16 matchups are just around the corner. The first legs of this knockout round will start up next week with some high-profile games.

Let’s take a look at the pairings for this year’s edition of the Round of 16 and predict a winner for each one.

Atletico Madrid vs. Liverpool

The reigning champions of the tournament certainly didn’t get an easy draw here, as Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid are always up for a good battle.

However, with Los Colchoneros floundering without Diego Costa and Joao Felix and Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool dominating any team that happens to wind up in front of them throughout this entire season, we think Liverpool will move on.

Pick: Liverpool

Borussia Dortmund vs. Paris Saint-Germain

One of the most promising Round of 16 matchups comes between Borussia Dortmund and PSG, two teams full of young stars.

Borussia Dortmund could end up escaping through if Erling Haaland and Jadon Sancho give them an edge after the matchup’s first leg in Germany, but I ultimately think that the combination of Kylian Mbappe and Neymar, who has never played as well as he is now, will be too much for the Dortmund defense.

Pick: PSG

Atalanta vs. Valencia

Who would have ever expected a Round of 16 tie between these two teams?

Valencia, who shocked many by winning their group in the group stage of the tournament, got a favorable draw against Atalanta in the first knockout round. Los Che have been inconsistent under Albert Celades, but we think that their quality is a bit too much for Atalanta to handle.

Pick: Valencia

Tottenham Hotspur vs. RB Leipzig

Perhaps the biggest “pick ’em” of the Round of 16 is this clash between last year’s finalists in Tottenham against RB Leipzig.

The German side might surprise many who aren’t familiar with their quality. Dani Olmo and Timo Werner will have a big chance to shine on a world stage in this tie, and we think that they will pull off the upset against a disheveled Spurs side.

Pick: RB Leipzig

Chelsea vs. Bayern Munich

Two European giants meet up in this juicy Round of 16 matchup, as Bayern will look to solidify its status as one of the tournament favorites.

Chelsea barely escaped from the group stage, and the uber-talented German champions will be out for blood. While Frank Lampard’s tenure at the Blues might be off to a promising start, we think that Bayern’s quality and experience are too much for them to handle.

Pick: Bayern Munich

Napoli vs. FC Barcelona

Barcelona meets up against Napoli in this Round of 16 matchup with some genuine upset potential.

The Catalans are still getting used to playing under new manager Quique Setien, but have shown signs of improvement lately. Leo Messi is still Leo Messi, and we think that they will move on to the next round with the help of a little bit of magic from the diminutive Argentinian.

Pick: Barcelona

Olympique Lyon vs. Juventus

After last year’s disappointing early exit at the hands of upstart Ajax, Cristiano Ronaldo’s Juventus will look to avoid another upset at the hands of Lyon.

The Old Lady has one of world soccer’s best collections of talent, and it seems inevitable that they will cruise past their Ligue 1 opposition. Could a huge upset be in the cards, though? We doubt it.

Pick: Juventus

Real Madrid vs. Manchester City

Arguably the most intriguing Round of 16 matchup is this one between Champions League giants Real Madrid and Manchester City, the team that has been chasing this title for the better part of the past decade.

Zinedine Zidane’s Blancos got off to a slow start this season, but have taken flight over the past couple of months. Leading La Liga and getting outstanding performances from Karim Benzema and the ageless Sergio Ramos, we think that they will pull off the upset against Pep Guardiola’s Man City, which isn’t the squad it once was.

Pick: Real Madrid

The post Predicting the Champions League Round of 16 Matchups appeared first on SportzBonanza.

After weeks of speculation and a heated battle involving Valencia and West Ham United, Uruguayan striker Maxi Gómez has finally found a new home.

Gómez traveled from his native country to Valencia on Thursday to complete a physical with Valencia and officially sign a new contract to join the Champions League club on a five-year deal.

Valencia acquired Gómez from Celta Vigo, where he spent the past two seasons, racking up a total of 31 goals and 10 assists with the Galician club in 71 games. What makes his performance even more impressive with Celta was the young age at which he produced, as he joined the La Liga club at only 21 years old.

Celta will reportedly receive Valencia forward Santi Mina and upwards of $15 million, along with a loan for center back Jorge Sáenz, as compensation for Gómez’s acquisition.

Valencia beat out Premier League side West Ham United for Gómez’s signature, as the prolific striker reportedly preferred the opportunity to participate in the Champions League and to remain in La Liga over West Ham’s higher money offer.

The soon-to-be 23-year-old is expected to slot into Valencia’s lineup immediately and become a key part of their offensive attack.

The post Uruguay International Maxi Gómez Joins Valencia in Blockbuster Transfer appeared first on SportzBonanza.

In the two first legs of the Europa League’s semi-final matchups, Arsenal grabbed an important home win and Chelsea picked up a valuable road draw.

Arsenal faced Valencia at home in the first leg of the teams’ matchup, and they left Emirates Stadium happy with a 3-1 victory.

Valencia tasted first blood after Mouctar Diakhaby scored a 10th-minute goal to give his team a 0-1 lead. Arsenal then scored three of its own, however, with Alexandre Lacazette bagging a brace before halftime.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored a stoppage-time goal to sentence the encounter with a 3-1 final.

In the Chelsea matchup, they drew 1-1 with Eintracht Frankfurt on the road.

Eintracht Frankfurt found the net first when talented striker Luka Jovic scored in the 21st minute, but then Chelsea found the net after a Pedro goal to tie the game up just before the half.

The game ended with this 1-1 result, putting Chelsea in a favorable position to win and advance to the final in Baku.

The second leg of the matchups will be played next Thursday in Valencia and London, respectively.

The post Arsenal Wins, Chelsea Draws in Europa League Semi-Finals appeared first on SportzBonanza.