Pedro Cortes, the former president of Valencia, was found guilty of sexually abusing a player and sending vulgar WhatsApp messages. The Spanish team was led by Cortes from 1997 to 2001.
El Espanol and Las Provincias, two Spanish newspapers, say that in 2020, Cortes took a club academy player out to eat. According to Daily Star, he told the 16-year-old during the meal:
“I’ll consume you whole.”
He is said to have massaged his thighs and touched his genitals while driving the player back to the academies. According to reports, Cortes reportedly said:
“You only have one life, and you must enjoy it.”
The player let his parents know, and they immediately called the police. Additionally, they claimed that Cortes sent the player a string of vulgar WhatsApp messages. Some examples include:
“Sucker, you’re mine to the balls.”
“From the tip of your tail on up, you are mine.”
“I like women very much, but I also like being with you very much.”
In October 2021, the former president of Valencia was put on trial for the first time. He denied all allegations, but the court decided against him and gave him a sentence of 22 months in prison.
Xavi, manager of Barcelona, commented on the victory over Valencia:
Raphinha scored the goal that gave Barcelona a narrow 1-0 victory over Valencia at Camp Nou. During the La Liga game, Ferran Torres also missed a penalty.
Ansu Fati appeared to want to take the spot kick before Torres did it. Xavi stated, via Barca Universal, following the match, regarding the confusion:
“Ferran was selected as the penalty taker, as was previously agreed upon prior to the match. The players are aware that the technical staff determines who shoots. The fact that Ansu asked to shoot the penalty is actually good, in my opinion. He has a very upbeat attitude. He ultimately wants to make a difference. Ferran never ceases to work. You can miss it, however, you need to attempt it. Football is an endeavor-based sport. We won’t put him to death for missing.”
After 24 league games this season, Barcelona has 62 points on the board.