David Villa, who helped Spain capture the 2010 FIFA World Cup and Atletico Madrid win this year’s La Liga crown, has signed a three-year deal with Major League Soccer’s New York expansion team.
New York City FC announced the signing on Monday, giving the new club its first-ever player and star power for its debut next year.
Villa will keep the No. 7 jersey he has worn for most of his career, including during his stint at Barcelona where he won La Liga in 2011 and last year, as well as a 2011 Champions League title.
“I’m keen to do the best I can, take on board that extra responsibility and prove my worth by repaying the confidence they have shown in me,” Villa said.
The New York team is owned by Premier League side Manchester City and Major League Baseball’s New York Yankees. The new franchise will call Yankee Stadium home until their own stadium is built.
“This is a historic and exciting moment,” New York City chief executive Ferran Soriano said. “He is one of the best footballers in the world, a true winner and in an outstanding moment of his career. I’m sure New Yorkers will enjoy watching him play for their city.”
Villa is Spain’s all-time top scorer, having netted four goals in La Roja’s 2008 European title campaign and five in their run to the World Cup crown in 2010. On June 13, he will contest his third World Cup when Spain launch their title defense in Brazil against the Netherlands.
His career has also included stints at Liga sides Valencia, Real Zaragoza and Sporting de Gijon.
Villa’s move sees him follow in the footsteps of stars such as Pele and David Beckham in trying to promote soccer in the US.
“Throughout my career, I’ve always tried to keep pushing myself to achieve new targets and this represents another important goal for me,” Villa said. “I want to try and help MLS continue to grow through playing, working hard, scoring goals and at the same time try to make New York City FC become the best team in the league. It’s a real honor that the people who have formed the club have focused their attention on me.”
New York City coach Jason Kreis was overjoyed at landing Villa.
“David Villa is undoubtedly one of the most accomplished players and best strikers in the world,” Kreis said. “I couldn’t be happier that we have acquired such an amazing talent.”
SS Lazio on Monday fired the far-right sympathizer who handles their eagle mascot after he posted online a series of videos and pictures of his erect penis. Falconer Juan Bernabe, who has been present at Lazio home matches with Olimpia the eagle since the 2010-2011 season, posted the footage on social media after having surgery on Saturday to implant a penile prosthesis to improve his sexual performance. Lazio said that they had “terminated, with immediate effect” their relationship with Bernabe “due to the seriousness of his conduct,” adding that they were “shocked” by the images. The Serie A club added that Bernabe’s dismissal
Hong Kong-based cricket team Hung See this weekend found success in their matches in Taiwan, even if none of the results went their way. Hung See played the Chairman’s XI on Saturday morning, the Daredevils that afternoon and PCCT yesterday, with all three home teams winning. The team for Chinese players at the Happy Valley-based Craigengower Cricket Club sends teams on tour to “spread the game of cricket.” This weekend was Hung See’s second trip to Taiwan after visiting Tainan in 2016. “The club has been traveling to all parts of the world since 1982 and the annual tradition continues [with the Taiwan
‘TOUGH TO BREATHE’: Tunisian three-time Grand Slam finalist Ons Jabeur suffered an asthma attack in her 7-5, 6-3 victory over Colombia’s Camila Osorio Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei yesterday cruised into the second round of the women’s doubles at the Australian Open, while Iga Swiatek romped into a third-round women’s singles showdown with Emma Raducanu and Taylor Fritz was just as emphatic in his pursuit of a maiden Grand Slam title. Hsieh and Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia, the third seeds, defeated Slovakia’s Tereza Mihalikova and Olivia Nicholls of Britain 7-5, 6-2 in 90 minutes in Melbourne. Ostapenko and Hsieh — who won the women’s doubles and mixed doubles at the Australian Open last year — hit 25 winners and converted five of nine break points to set
HARD TO SAY GOODBYE: After Coco Gauff dispatched Belinda Bencic in the fourth round, she wrote ‘RIP TikTok USA’ and drew a broken heart on a television camera lens Defending champion Hsieh Su-wei of Taiwan yesterday advanced to the quarter-finals of the women’s doubles at the Australian Open, while compatriot Chan Hao-ching on Saturday dominated her opponents in the second round, as world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka swept into the quarter-finals. Third seeds Hsieh and Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia toppled Hungary’s Timea Babos and Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the US 6-4, 6-3, hitting 24 winners and converting three of seven break points in 1 hour, 18 minutes at 1573 Arena. Although rivals at last year’s Australian Open — where Hsieh and Belgium’s Elise Mertens beat Ostapenko and Ukraine’s Lyudmyla Kichenok 6-1, 7-5
RSS