Valencia allow Helguera to walk away

Valencia CF have terminated defender Iván Helguera's contract with immediate effect, releasing a statement offering the club's best wishes to a player who has "shown excellent behaviour with us until the very end".

Used sparingly
The 33-year-old, who won the UEFA Champions League in 1999/00 and 2001/02 with Real Madrid CF, joined Los Che from the Santiago Bernabéu outfit in 2007, but despite making 24 Liga appearances in his first season at the Mestalla, he has started just one game this term and three more in the UEFA Cup. Valencia can steal top spot in UEFA Cup Group G with a win at AS Saint-Etienne next week.