FOOTBALL: Gary Neville effigy burned during Valencia festival

Protesting supporters attached a cut-out of the Mestalla boss’ face to a pyre at the city’s annual ‘Festival of Fire’.

Las Fallas is a festival where locals burn paper mache and cardboard figurines in a symbolic gesture to express the desire for something better to rise from the ashes.

Spain’s president Mariano Rajoy and Pope Francis were also scorched, as were Valencia owner Peter Lim and chairwoman Layhoon Chan.

The La Liga giants are 14th in the table and have lost their last three league games in a row.

And last month’s 7-0 Copa del Rey humiliation at the hands of Barcelona has made Neville an unpopular figure at the club.

SOURCE: the sun