Neville’s Valencia jeered off, Parejo loses armband

Valencia fans waved white handkerchiefs and jeered Gary Neville’s team off after they laboured to a 1-1 draw against Primera Division strugglers Las Palmas on Thursday.

The visitors took a shock lead in the first leg of the Copa del Rey quarter-final at the Mestalla when Valencia defender Wilfried Zahibo headed a Las Palmas free-kick past his own goalkeeper seven minutes before half-time.

But Zahibo’s blushes were spared on the hour mark when Valencia striker Paco Alcacer drilled a low shot home past Las Palmas keeper Raul Lizoain to give his side hope ahead of next week’s second leg.

Paco Alcacer was handed the captain’s armband by Neville, who said previous skipper Dani Parejo was involved in the decision to make the change.

“I discussed it with Dani over these last two or three weeks and we came to the decision together,” said Neville.

“If there was a problem between the two of us then he would not have played tonight and you would not have seen that performance from him – I thought he was our best player.”