La Liga

CONOR GALLAGHER has scored his first goal since joining Atletico Madrid in the summer.The midfielder opened the scoring in his side’s LaLiga victory over Valencia on Sunday night.Conor Gallagher scored his first Atletico Madrid goal on Sunday nightCredit: AlamyThe midfielder opened the scoring in a 3-0 home victory over Valencia in LaLigaCredit: GettyHis strike was followed by second half goals from Antoine Griezmann and Julian Alvarez as Atletico ran out 3-0 winners.Gallagher capped off a flowing passing move from the home side to score his first goal for the club.The England international calmly stroked the ball under the goalkeeper inside the penalty area before being mobbed by his team-mates.His effort had fans praising the 24-year-old on social media as he continues to settle in Spain.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLReacting to the goal, one supporter wrote: “His movement there is class, between the lines. Chelsea had him so wrong.”Another added: “Movement and vision are incredible. He would have worked well this season in that Chelsea side.”A Chelsea fan also commented: “We lost a good one there. Hope he smashes it.”Meanwhile, one more said: “Living the dream in Spain. He’ll be in the next England squad no question.”Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSGallagher kept his place in the England squad for this month’s Nations League matches but was an unused substitute against both Ireland and Finland.Meanwhile, he has now won all three of his matches since joining Atletico in August.Conor Gallagher sends packed Atletico Madrid stadium wild at unveiling by speaking SPANISH after Chelsea exitThe Chelsea academy graduate completed a £34million move to the Spanish capital after 16 years with the Blues.He penned a five-year deal with the club and is already a fan favourite, with supporters giving him his own song.Gallagher was also welcomed to the club in a bonkers unveiling following his move, with a motorbike gang and Spidermen appearing at the Metropolitano Stadium.Gallagher has won all three matches he has played in since joining Atletico from ChelseaCredit: GettyChelsea are a circus – it will be TERRIBLE for football if they win anything, says Troy DeeneyCHELSEA are a circus — aren’t they?, writes Troy Deeney.But the bigger concern should be if somehow, some way, Todd Boehly’s insane master-plan brings about success this season.Finish in the top four. Win a trophy like the FA Cup.He will then turn around and say: “See, it works” and all of a sudden, other clubs will begin considering copying this mad model to try and compete in the Premier League.Before you know it, there will be a bigger divide between the top clubs and the rest and this country’s top flight will become something we have been fighting against — a Super League.The smaller sides and promoted teams will be wiped out by the elite and will end up saying, ‘What’s the point?’Football as we know it will change, and there will be no going back.As a neutral, you don’t want to wish failure on a club or a regime, but it’s depressing to think about.We should almost be looking at it in amazement — the owners have come in with this model and they’ve treated it as if they are buying stocks and shares, not players or human beings.Boehly has wiped away any sense of sentiment or old-school values from that club and the worrying thing is that he doesn’t seem to care.Does he even like football?Read Troy Deeney’s hard-hitting opinion on Boehly’s Chelsea shambles in full.Or check out all of Troy’s columns on SunSport. More

A SPANISH footballer has been found guilty of sexually abusing a rival team mascot as he led his team out for a LaLiga match.Former Spain U21 ace Hugo Mallo, who was captaining Celta Vigo at the time, was convicted of groping his victim’s breasts during an official greeting before the match started.Hugo Mallo has been found guilty of sexually abusing a rival mascotCredit: GettyHe was convicted of groping the mascot’s breasts under their costumeCredit: GettyHe was fined £5,065 and ordered to pay his victim £845 in damages by a court in Barcelona.Defender Mallo, 33, now plays for Greek side Aris Salonika.In an 11-page ruling released today following the footballer’s one-day trial on July 11, sentencing judge Salvador Roig Tejedor ruled Mallo had committed the illicit act in April 2019 “with the intention of satisfying his libidinous desires” before his then-team’s away match against Espanyol.The victim was working as one of two mascots for the Catalan side and was wearing a parakeet costume.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLThe judge said in his written sentence: “It has been proven that the accused, Hugo M.N, around 8.30pm on April 24 2019, when he was captain of Celta Vigo Football Club, put his hand under the parakeet outfit of the female mascot and touched her breasts.“He did this as he greeted the members of rival team Espanyol and their mascots when he reached the spot where the female mascot was.“He acted with the intention of satisfying his libidinous desire and undermining his victim’s sexual integrity, obliging her to step back and push the accused away with her right hand.”Mallo had denied any wrongdoing and insisted he greeted his victim in the normal way with a handshake.Most read in FootballCCTV footage examined by investigators showed him with his hand on the mascot’s waist in what was described as a “contradiction” in his evidence although police weren’t able to see the sex crime in the videos they watched.The judge described the victim’s account of events as “firm and vehement.”Where are they now: The unusual careers of former footballersMallo has been offered the chance to appeal his sentence and fine.Espanyol fans have long been called Los Periquitos – Spanish for Parakeets – due to the fugitive birds that lived in the trees around its old stadium. More