- published: 21 Apr 2016
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Valencia (Spanish: [baˈlenθja]) or València (Valencian: [vaˈlensia]) is the capital of the autonomous community of Valencia and the third largest city in Spain after Madrid and Barcelona, with around 809,000 inhabitants in the administrative centre. It is the 15th most populous municipality in the European Union. Valencia is also Spain's third largest metropolitan area, with a population ranging from 1.7 to 2.3 million. The Port of Valencia is the 5th busiest container port in Europe and the largest on the Mediterranean Sea, with a trade volume of 4.21 million TEU's.
Valencia was founded as a Roman colony in 138 BC. The city is situated on the banks of the Turia, on the east coast of the Iberian Peninsula, fronting the Gulf of Valencia on the Mediterranean Sea. Its historic centre is one of the largest in Spain, with approximately 169 acres; this heritage of ancient monuments, views and cultural attractions makes Valencia one of the country's most popular tourist destinations. Major monuments include Valencia Cathedral, the Torres de Serranos, the Torres de Quart, the Llotja de la Seda (declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1996), and the Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències (City of Arts and Sciences), an entertainment-based cultural and architectural complex designed by Santiago Calatrava and Félix Candela. The Museu de Belles Arts de València houses a large collection of paintings from the 14th to the 18th centuries, including works by Velázquez, El Greco, and Goya, as well as an important series of engravings by Piranesi. The Institut Valencià d'Art Modern (Valencian Institute of Modern Art) houses both permanent collections and temporary exhibitions of contemporary art and photography.
Luis Antonio Valencia Mosquera (born 4 August 1985), commonly known as Antonio Valencia (Spanish pronunciation: [anˈtoɲo βaˈlensja]), is an Ecuadorian footballer who currently plays as a winger for Manchester United and the Ecuadorian national team. He has also occasionally been deployed as an emergency right back for Manchester United.
After progressing through the youth system at El Nacional, Valencia became a first team regular and made over 80 appearances for the club before signing for La Liga side Villarreal CF in 2005. He only made two league appearances for the Spanish side in between successful loan spells at Recreativo de Huelva for the 2005–06 season and later English Premier League club Wigan Athletic from 2006 to 2008. Wigan later signed Valencia on a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee in January 2008. His performances for Wigan soon attracted attention from several high profile clubs and he turned down a move to Real Madrid before signing for Manchester United in June 2009. Valencia has since won the 2009–10 Football League Cup, the 2010 FA Community Shield, and the 2010–11 Premier League during his time at Manchester United, along with being voted into PFA Team of the Year in his debut season.
Roy Maurice Keane (born 10 August 1971) is an Irish former footballer and manager. In his 18-year playing career, he played for Cobh Ramblers, Nottingham Forest, and Manchester United, before ending his career at Celtic. Keane was a dominating central-midfielder, noted for his aggressive and highly competitive style of play, an attitude which helped him excel as captain of Manchester United from 1997 until his departure in 2005, having joined the club in 1993. Keane helped United achieve a sustained period of success in more than 12 years at the club. He then signed for Celtic but retired as a player less than a year later.
He played at international level for much of his career, representing the Republic of Ireland over a period of 14 years, most of which he spent as captain. He played in every Republic of Ireland game at the 1994 FIFA World Cup, although he was sent home from the 2002 World Cup after an incident with national coach Mick McCarthy.
He was appointed manager of Sunderland shortly after his retirement as a player, and took the club from 23rd position in the Football League Championship in late August to win the division title and gain promotion to the Premier League. Keane's arrival was cited as the catalyst for Sunderland's recovery. He managed to keep Sunderland from relegation in the 2007–08 season, but in his second season as a top-flight manager he left his position with Sunderland in the relegation zone. In April 2009, he was appointed as manager of Ipswich Town, but was sacked by the club in January 2011 with them 19th in the Championship.