Latest news with #PrimeraFederacion
New York Times
18-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Newcastle agree deal for Malaga winger Antonio Cordero
Newcastle United have agreed a deal to sign 18-year-old Antonio Cordero from Spanish second tier side Malaga. Barcelona and Real Madrid were both interested in the winger, who will join Newcastle in the summer on a free transfer with his Malaga contract expiring in June. Cordero joined Malaga's youth system in 2021 and signed his first professional contract with the club the following year. He made his senior debut before appearing for Atletico Malagueno, the club's 'B' side, in September 2023, coming on as a substitute against Atletico Madrid's reserve team in a third tier match. Advertisement Cordero spent time with the B team that season while making appearances off the bench for the senior team. His most impactful performance came in the Primera Federacion play-offs, where he came on as a substitute to score in the last minute of the second leg of the play-off final against Gimnastic de Tarragona to put Malaga ahead 4-3 on aggregate, earning them promotion to the Segunda Division. This season, Cordero has regularly appeared for Malaga, starting in 18 out of his 33 appearances and providing five goals and six assists. Malaga are 17th in the table, three points off the four-team relegation zone. Cordero will be Newcastle's second post-season arrival after the club completed the signing of 17-year-old Georgian forward Vakhtang Salia from Dinamo Tbilisi in October. Salia will officially join the team this summer. (Francis Gonzalez/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
New York Times
15-04-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Brentford owner Matthew Benham close to agreeing deal to buy Spanish third-tier side Merida AD
Brentford owner Matthew Benham is close to agreeing a deal to buy Spanish third-tier side Merida AD. Based in western central Spain, near the Portuguese border, Merida AD are currently fifth in the Primera Federacion's group 2 with six games to play, which would qualify them for the playoffs for a spot in LaLiga's Segunda Division. Advertisement Founded in 2013 after two previous Merida-based teams went bankrupt, the club have been owned by British/American businessman Mark Heffernan since 2021 and they play at the Estadio Romano, a 14,600-capacity ground owned by the local council. A former banker turned gambler, Benham is the founder of statistical research firm Smartodds and the owner of betting exchange Matchbook. Now 56, Benham is known for his data-based approach to decision-making and has been funding Brentford, his boyhood club, since 2007, when they were in dire financial straits. The deal for Merida AD is expected to be announced on Tuesday and it will be Brentford's new holding company that will own the club. Under Benham's watch, the west London club have climbed from English football's third tier to the Premier League, which they reached for the first time in their history in 2021. Benham's millions have also helped to build Brentford's Gtech Community Stadium, which opened in 2020. Merida AD will not be Benham's first foray into multi-club ownership, as he was also the majority shareholder of Danish side Midtjylland between 2014 and 2023, during which time they won three domestic titles and became known as one of the best academies in Scandinavia. (Mike Egerton/PA Images via Getty Images)
