MADRID (Reuters) – Valencia eased past La Liga rivals Osasuna into the quarter-finals of the King’s Cup on Tuesday, while Malaga flirted with danger against third-tier Eibar before a flurry of late goals put them safely into the last eight.

Valencia will play 2011 winners Real Madrid or Celta Vigo for a place in the semi-finals, with Celta holding a 2-1 advantage from last month’s last 16, first leg ahead of their visit to the Bernabeu on Wednesday.

MADRID, Jan 8 (Reuters) – Valencia eased past La Liga rivals Osasuna into the quarter-finals of the King’s Cup on Tuesday, while Malaga flirted with danger against third-tier Eibar before a flurry of late goals put them safely into the last eight.

Valencia will play 2011 winners Real Madrid or Celta Vigo for a place in the semi-finals, with Celta holding a 2-1 advantage from last month’s last 16, first leg ahead of their visit to the Bernabeu on Wednesday.

MADRID (Reuters) – Madrid will be capable of staging a successful 2020 Olympics despite the parlous state of Spain’s finances, officials behind the city’s bid said on Tuesday.

“Today the biggest weakness we have is the economy but we can overcome it,” Spanish Olympic Committee (COE) president Alejandro Blanco told a news conference, a day after Madrid’s bid dossier was handed to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Lausanne.

MADRID, Jan 8 (Reuters) – Madrid will be capable of staging a successful 2020 Olympics despite the parlous state of Spain’s finances, officials behind the city’s bid said on Tuesday.

“Today the biggest weakness we have is the economy but we can overcome it,” Spanish Olympic Committee (COE) president Alejandro Blanco told a news conference, a day after Madrid’s bid dossier was handed to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Lausanne.

MADRID (Reuters) – Real Madrid’s unconvincing 4-3 win at home to Real Sociedad in La Liga on Sunday was hardly the perfect preparation for Jose Mourinho’s troubled side with a 2-1 King’s Cup deficit to overturn against Celta Vigo on Wednesday.

To add to a series of poor performances on the pitch, Mourinho has angered Real fans by dropping captain and goalkeeper Iker Casillas for the last two league matches and, not for the first time this season, they made their feelings clear by roundly whistling the Portuguese at the Bernabeu.

MADRID, Jan 7 (Reuters) – Real Madrid’s unconvincing 4-3 win at home to Real Sociedad in La Liga on Sunday was hardly the perfect preparation for Jose Mourinho’s troubled side with a 2-1 King’s Cup deficit to overturn against Celta Vigo on Wednesday.

To add to a series of poor performances on the pitch, Mourinho has angered Real fans by dropping captain and goalkeeper Iker Casillas for the last two league matches and, not for the first time this season, they made their feelings clear by roundly whistling the Portuguese at the Bernabeu.

MADRID (Reuters) – Real Madrid’s players have begun giving regular news conferences again in a sign the club is seeking to improve its relations with the media and may want less attention focused on controversial coach Jose Mourinho.

Captain and goalkeeper Iker Casillas, forward Cristiano Ronaldo and defenders Sergio Ramos and Alvaro Arbeloa all spoke to reporters after training this week, prompting the headline “Is the iron curtain falling?” in Marca sports daily on Friday.

MADRID, Jan 4 (Reuters) – Real Madrid’s players have begun giving regular news conferences again in a sign the club is seeking to improve its relations with the media and may want less attention focused on controversial coach Jose Mourinho.

Captain and goalkeeper Iker Casillas, forward Cristiano Ronaldo and defenders Sergio Ramos and Alvaro Arbeloa all spoke to reporters after training this week, prompting the headline “Is the iron curtain falling?” in Marca sports daily on Friday.

MADRID (Reuters) – Stuttering La Liga champions Real Madrid spent much of the first part of the season dealing with reports of dressing room rifts and player discontent and are facing another headache as they prepare for Sunday’s game at home to Real Sociedad.

Local media reported that fullback Fabio Coentrao had returned late from the Christmas and New Year break and coach Jose Mourinho had demanded the stiffest possible punishment for his Portuguese compatriot.

MADRID (Reuters) – Stuttering La Liga champions Real Madrid spent much of the first part of the season dealing with reports of dressing room rifts and player discontent and are facing another headache as they prepare for Sunday’s game at home to Real Sociedad.

Local media reported that fullback Fabio Coentrao had returned late from the Christmas and New Year break and coach Jose Mourinho had demanded the stiffest possible punishment for his Portuguese compatriot.