Eduardo Camavinga has signed a new deal that will keep him at Real Madrid until June 2029, the LaLiga club have announced.

Camavinga, who can play in both midfield or in defence as a left-back, has made made 114 appearances for Los Blancos since his arrival in 2021.

The versatile 20-year-old has already amassed a large collection of trophies in his first two seasons in the Spanish capital, including the Champions League,  Club World Cup, European Super Cup, LaLiga, Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup.

Camavinga has also made 13 appearances for France, scoring once in a 2020 international friendly with Ukraine.

Real Madrid, coming off Sunday’s goalless draw with Rayo Vallecano, host Braga in a Champions League group stage contest on Wednesday night.

Goals in either half from Brahim Diaz and Joselu ensured Real Madrid returned to winning ways with a 2-0 victory over Las Palmas at the Bernabeu.

Las Palmas goalkeeper Alvaro Valles pulled off a series of magnificent saves to keep the favourites at bay until Diaz’s strike in first-half stoppage time gave Carlo Ancelotti’s side a lead they did not relinquish.

Joselu’s strike nine minutes into the second half made sure of Real’s sixth win from their opening seven games in LaLiga as they bounced back from Sunday’s 3-1 derby defeat to neighbours Atletico.

Real Madrid fashioned the first opportunity of the match in the sixth minute when Rodrygo latched on to a through ball from Diaz, but the Brazilian’s effort was met by the legs of Valles.

The home side struggled to click into gear early on but came close to an opener 20 minutes in when Antonio Rudiger whipped a ball into Joselu, but the Spaniard’s powerful strike was once again saved by Valles.

It seemed only a matter of time before Real Madrid got their goal but Valles was doing all he could to keep it level, this time denying Nacho at the far post.

The hosts may have been wondering if it was not their day after Federico Valverde set Joselu free on goal but his one-on-one effort was denied by Valles once again.

But Real finally broke the deadlock in first-half stoppage time when Lucas Vazquez’s pass found Diaz inside the area and he lashed into the top corner to give the home side a half-time lead.

Las Palmas were up against it in the first period but started brightly after the break, working the first opportunity of the half when Munir El Haddadi’s goalbound curling effort was well blocked.

Real doubled their advantage 54 minutes in after Rodrygo’s curling cross was expertly glanced home by Joselu.

Vinicius Junior came off the bench for his first appearance in a month after recovering from a hamstring injury and had a small glimpse of goal but saw his half-chance blocked.

Real seemed content with their two-goal advantage and Las Palmas had another shot on target but Kirian Rodriguez’s long range effort was comfortably saved by Kepa Arrizabalaga as the hosts claimed all three points.

LaLiga leaders Barcelona twice had to battle from behind as Fermin Lopez’s first goal for the club earned a hard-fought draw at Real Mallorca.

Xavi’s side have been the early pacesetters as they look to defend their league title but the visitors had to settle for a 2-2 draw at the Iberostar Stadium.

Vedat Muriqi and Abdon Prats goals had twice had the hosts in front but Raphinha cancelled out the opener before substitute Lopez struck to earn Barca a share of the spoils.

Mallorca were all but presented with the opening goal with just eight minutes gone as Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen gifted possession to Antonio Sanchez, who teed up Muriqi to break the deadlock.

Raphinha’s third goal of the season – a fine long-range strike – levelled the scores, only for Abdon to score in first-half stoppage time.

With the visitors chasing the game once more, Joao Felix hit the woodwork as Xavi’s side continued to threaten.

Their second equaliser of the evening would come with 15 minutes left on the clock, Lopez scoring his first senior goal for Barcelona having come off the bench shortly after the hour.

Despite pulling level on two occasions, Barca could not find a breakthrough to seal all three points and could now fall below both Real Madrid and Girona, who are in action on Wednesday against Las Palmas and Villarreal, respectively.

Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti shrugged off any criticism from Sunday’s derby defeat as his “upset and angry” team look for an immediate response against Las Palmas.

Los Blancos lost 3-1 to city rivals Atletico on Sunday after opening the season with six straight wins in all competitions.

That was only the second time in 15 LaLiga clashes that Real had been beaten by Atletico and they host Las Palmas on Wednesday having dropped to third in the table, trailing Barcelona and Girona by a point.

“It’s normal when you’re the Real Madrid coach to receive criticism if things don’t go well. It doesn’t affect me,” Ancelotti told a press conference.

“I have to assess what we did well, which is a lot, as well as the things we didn’t do so well against Atletico, which are few. The evaluation I make is different to everyone else’s.

“The players and I are aware of what we have to do better, considering that up until now we have done well, and we must carry on doing well by improving what we didn’t get right against Atletico.

“I could have done better, maybe. That’s quite clear. When the team doesn’t do the right thing it’s my responsibility. But I’ve got broad shoulders, it’s not a problem.

“We’d only conceded three goals in six games and in 45 minutes we’ve conceded three goals. We were weak. It’s fair to say that. It wasn’t a good night.

“Every system has its weaknesses. There’s no perfect system. We’ve got experienced and very reliable players.

“It’s a setback that could provide us with an opportunity to do things better. We’re upset and angry, as we always are when we lose. But we’ve done very well so far and we’ll continue to do well.”

Las Palmas sit 15th in the table having lost all of their three away games this term but Ancelotti remains cautious

“Every team has its strengths and features. Las Palmas play good football and like to control the ball,” said the former Chelsea manager. “As for us, we want to get back to winning ways and bounce back quickly after Sunday’s defeat.

“We have to go into games with a different mindset, given that we’ve been hurt a number of times in the opening minutes.”

Dani Carvajal, Vinicius Jr and Arda Guler are available again for Ancelotti after missing the derby but the boss remains unsure how much of a part they will play.

He added: “They’re all available and that’s very good news. I have to assess whether to give them minutes from the start or throughout the game.”

Xavi believes his Barcelona contract extension reflects the faith the club has in his project as he prepares for Tuesday night’s LaLiga clash with Mallorca.

The Barca boss penned a contract extension until 2025 last week before overseeing a dramatic 3-2 win over Celta Vigo that made it five wins and one draw from their six league games this season.

Xavi believes his side did not play well on Saturday, when they scored three times in the last nine minutes to overturn a two-goal deficit, but credited his players for keeping themselves top of the table.

“We didn’t play well against Celta,” Xavi said.

“But we won and put ourselves top of the table and I got to extend my contract, which shows that the club has its faith in our project.”

Barca next travel to lowly Mallorca, who have won one of their opening six matches and lost 5-3 at Girona on Saturday, but Xavi expects a tough test.

“Mallorca is a difficult opponent,” he added.

“They have a lot to offer in defence and work very well for each other. They are physically very strong and have direct approach players like (Vedat) Muriqi and (Sergi) Darder and this won’t be an easy away trip against a team that wants to bounce back after such a big loss as the one to Girona.”

The Catalan giants have started their LaLiga title defence in style, having scored 16 times (joint most with Girona in the league), but Xavi admitted he still wants to improve in attacking areas.

He said: “We are competing well, and in general we’re playing good football. But I’d still like to see more mobility from my forwards and we need to attack spaces better.

“We can get so much more out of this attack, they need to work more on their positioning. But even though we had a bad game against Celta, we are on the right track.

“One of the best things about this squad is its versatility. We have different kinds of player for different positions. Players like Sergi Roberto, Gavi, Joao Cancelo, (Ilkay) Gundogan, Joao Felix, (Jules) Kounde and (Ronald) Araujo who can adapt so well.”

Alvaro Morata headed a double as Atletico Madrid beat arch rivals Real Madrid 3-1 at the Metropolitano Stadium.

The Spain captain and Antoine Griezmann headed Atletico into a 2-0 first-half lead and although Toni Kroos pulled one back for Real before the interval, Morata struck again at the start of the second period.

Atletico fully deserved a rare LaLiga win in the Madrid derby – they had won only one of their previous 14 league meetings – and halted their rivals’ six-game winning start to the season.

Atletico made a dream start as they stormed into a 2-0 lead inside the opening 20 minutes.

Former Real striker Morata headed them in front in the fourth minute, stealing in behind the away side’s defence to glance home Brazilian winger Samuel Lino’s excellent cross.

After a spell of patient Real possession, Atletico exposed their rivals again out wide to double their advantage.

This time it was Saul Niguez who delivered an inch-perfect cross into the box, from the same left side, which Griezmann headed beyond on-loan Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Atletico almost added a third in the 31st minute when Kepa reacted smartly to keep out Saul’s effort.

An out-of-sorts Real hauled themselves back into it 10 minutes before the break through a piece of individual brilliance from Kroos, who turned neatly inside Marcos Llorente and arrowed a low shot into the bottom corner.

The visitors thought they had equalised just before the break, but the offside Antonio Rudiger was judged to have been interfering with play before Eduardo Camavinga turned the ball home.

Real boss Carlo Ancelotti sent on Joselu in place of Luka Modric for the second half, but his side were stunned inside a minute of the restart when Morata headed Atletico into a 3-1 lead.

Another Saul cross from the left picked out the ex-Chelsea striker and he provided another expertly-taken finish.

Atletico’s Mario Hermoso then headed against the crossbar before a triple substitution by Ancelotti saw Ferland Mendy, Nacho and Aurelien Tchouameni replace Fran Garcia, Lucas Vazquez and Camavinga.

Real began to force the issue as they searched for a way back into the match, with Rodrygo and Tchouameni both having efforts blocked and the latter fizzing a shot wide.

Rudiger and Federico Valverde both also fired shots just wide, but it was a night to forget for Ancelotti’ side, with a frustrated Jude Bellingham booked for a crude challenge in stoppage time.

Diego Simeone’s side climbed up to fifth, five points behind third-placed Madrid with a game in hand.

Joao Cancelo’s 89th-minute goal completed an amazing comeback by Barcelona as they scored three times in the final 10 minutes to beat Celta Vigo 3-2.

Rafael Benitez’s Celta put in an excellent display and looked home and hosed as they went 2-0 up after 76 minutes when Tasos Douvikas added to Jorgen Strand Larsen’s excellent first-half goal.

But they succumbed to an incredible late rally that no one saw coming as Robert Lewandowski scored twice in four minutes before former Manchester City defender Cancelo won it with one minute of normal time.

The comeback will paper over the cracks of what was a worrying display for Barca, who were cut open at will by a vibrant Celta side, but Xavi’s men go to the top of the table with the three points.

Benitez will be highly enthused by what he saw from his team, even if they are just one point above the drop zone.

They looked more like the team at the top of the table with an incisive first-half performance, which was rewarded with a 19th-minute lead.

Barca could not clear a corner properly and on the second phase Lucca De La Torre slipped in Larsen and the Norwegian produced a fine shot into the bottom corner with a finish his compatriot Erling Haaland would have been proud of.

They should have led 2-0 five minutes before the break but Marc-Andre Ter Stegen produced a one-handed save to deny Larsen. The rebound fell to Jonathan Bamba and he was primed to score until Oriol Romeu produced a fine block. The danger was still not over as the ball fell to De La Torre, but he blazed over with the goal at his mercy.

Celta thought they should have had a penalty early in the second half as their pace caused a constant threat on the break, but VAR ruled in the hosts’ favour.

There was no escape, though, in the 76th minute as the visitors got their deserved second, which at the time looked to have sealed the points.

They launched a quick counter-attack and Douvikas raced on to Iago Aspas’ perfect pass to convert with a bobbled finish.

But Barca showed, even playing away from the Nou Camp, they can have a fortress in Estadi Olímpic Lluis Companys as they produced a fine three-goal salvo in eight minutes.

Lewandowski started things off when he latched on to Joao Felix’s ball and hooked home in off the crossbar.

Three minutes later it was all square as the Poland striker tucked home from Cancelo’s cross.

Cancelo then took stage to win it in the 89th minute when he arrived in the box to convert Gavi’s cross and seal a sixth succesive win in all competitions.

Barcelona have announced a contract extension for head coach Xavi – who insists he remains determined to see his side sustain their positive start to the new campaign.

Xavi’s new deal will keep the former Barca midfielder at the Nou Camp through until at least 2025.

“My renewal was settled days ago. We reached an agreement a few days ago,” Xavi told a press conference.

“I have already said that I am 10-out-of-10 here, I am happy.

Following the departure of Ronald Koeman, Xavi took over in November 2021 and last season won LaLiga by 10 points.

Former Al Sadd boss Xavi feels there is still more to come from his Barcelona team.

“We arrived at a difficult time, in an adverse situation,” he said.

“Seeing what we have now, we have worked very well in all areas, from the president, to the sporting section, to the staff. We are still turning the tables.

“It is a process of training and construction, but we are doing excellent work. This is the season of consolidation, of play and results.

“I feel supported, especially when at times last year things were not so good, and I feel grateful to the president for supporting me. We are in a good moment – but we cannot stop working.”

Defender Ronald Araujo has been passed fit for Saturday’s game, the Uruguay international having been sidelined for more than a month by a thigh problem. Inigo Martinez, Andreas Christensen and Jules Kounde are also available.

Celta Vigo have lost three of their first five LaLiga games, but Xavi is expecting a stern test.

“We will face a Celta team that has fewer points than they deserve,” he said.

“(Rafael) Benitez is a very experienced coach. It was difficult for us last year, and we hope to achieve victory, feeling good at home.”

Xavi added: “The most important thing is to open up the field and have alternatives. We need to exploit the spaces to overcome their five-man defence, but also attack from the inside.

“We need variations to unsettle their defensive structure.”

Celta manager Rafael Benitez knows the challenge ahead for his side does not get any easier this weekend as they look to get back on form.

“Barcelona are a team capable of attacking on the wings – they look for your back, they have interior passes,” said Benitez, who had tinkered between playing five at the back and a four-man defence.

“All that allows you to have clear ideas and have a lot of money to put them into practice.

Benitez told a press conference: “It will be difficult, for sure; but impossible? No. If we do things right, then we can make life difficult for anyone.

“Against Barcelona, ​​good is not enough, but very good (maybe) – you have to have Plan A, B and C.”

Barcelona head coach Xavi has revealed an agreement on his contract extension has now been reached and he remains determined to see his side sustain their positive start to the new campaign.

Xavi’s new deal is expected to keep him at the Nou Camp through until at least 2025.

“My renewal was settled days ago. We reached an agreement a few days ago and it will be announced shortly,” Xavi told a press conference.

“I have already said that I am 10-out-of-10 here, I am happy. We will inform you (with an official announcement), but it is done.”

Following the departure of Ronald Koeman, Xavi took over in November 2021 and last season won the LaLiga title by 10 points.

Former Al Sadd boss Xavi feels there is still more to come from his Barcelona team.

“We arrived at a difficult time, in an adverse situation,” he said.

“Seeing what we have now, we have worked very well in all areas, from the president, to the sporting section, to the staff. We are still turning the tables.

“It is a process of training and construction, but we are doing excellent work. This is the season of consolidation, of play and results.

“I feel supported, especially when at times last year things were not so good, and I feel grateful to the president for supporting me. We are in a good moment – but we cannot stop working.”

Defender Ronald Araujo has been passed fit for Saturday’s game, the Uruguay international having been sidelined for more than a month by a thigh problem. Inigo Martinez, Andreas Christensen and Jules Kounde are also available.

Celta Vigo have lost three of their first five LaLiga games, but Xavi is expecting a stern test.

“We will face a Celta team that has fewer points than they deserve,” he said.

“(Rafael) Benitez is a very experienced coach. It was difficult for us last year, and we hope to achieve victory, feeling good at home.”

Xavi added: “The most important thing is to open up the field and have alternatives. We need to exploit the spaces to overcome their five-man defence, but also attack from the inside.

“We need variations to unsettle their defensive structure.”

Celta manager Rafael Benitez knows the challenge ahead for his side does not get any easier this weekend as they look to get back on form.

“Barcelona are a team capable of attacking on the wings – they look for your back, they have interior passes,” said Benitez, who had tinkered between playing five at the back and a four-man defence.

“All that allows you to have clear ideas and have a lot of money to put them into practice.

Benitez told a press conference: “It will be difficult, for sure; but impossible? No. If we do things right, then we can make life difficult for anyone.

“Against Barcelona, ​​good is not enough, but very good (maybe) – you have to have Plan A, B and C.”

Barcelona left-back Alejandro Balde is to sign a new five-year contract at the Nou Camp, the club have announced.

The new deal with the 19-year-old will contain a buy-out clause set at one billion euros (£865million).

The Spain international will formally sign the contract at a ceremony with president Joan Laporta on Thursday.

A club statement read: “FC Barcelona and the player Alejandro Balde have reached an agreement for a new contract which will take the player through to 30 June 2028.

“The buy out clause is set at 1bn euros.”

Balde, a product of the club’s youth set-up, has established himself as first-choice left-back with the LaLiga champions over the past year.

The disgraced former president of the Spanish Football Federation [RFEF] Luis Rubiales was not worthy of representing his country, according to Sevilla vice president Jose Maria del Nido.

Rubiales was widely condemned for his behaviour as Spain celebrated their victory over England in last month's Women's World Cup final, having grabbed forward Jenni Hermoso before kissing her on the lips.

Hermoso repeatedly stated the kiss was not consensual and has since filed a criminal complaint against Rubiales, accusing him of sexual assault.

Though Rubiales initially refused to resign, the pressure eventually told as he announced his departure ahead of an interview with Piers Morgan, which aired last week.

Sevilla became one of the first clubs to demand Rubiales' resignation on August 25, and Del Nido believes the events have left a stain on the reputation of Spanish football. 

Speaking at the Thinking Football Summit, Del Nido told Stats Perform: "Instead of everyone talking about the success of being world champions, being the best in your sport at a global level, it's a complete failure that we should be talking about events that are totally unacceptable, of a person who should not represent the Spanish Football Federation. 

"Instead of paying attention to the damage that the attitude of the president of the federation has done, I would stay with the attitude that the Spanish people have had. 

"I think it is true that this hurts the reputation of Spain, but Spain is not Luis Rubiales. 

"Spain is everything we have manifested against the behaviour of Rubiales, everything we have done to support Jenni. 

"This type of conduct cannot be accepted under any concept, and even less if it is a person who occupies a status or a position of that magnitude. 

"He is not worthy of representing the Spanish Football Federation. Spain has spoken out against this event in a very good way. 

"I will finish as I started. What we have to do is congratulate the Spanish women's team for becoming World Cup champions, which is the only thing that should be discussed."

Despite the exits of Rubiales and World Cup-winning coach Jorge Vilda – who was sacked earlier this month having been the subject of player revolts – the storm surrounding the RFEF is far from over.

A group of 81 Spanish players announced their intention to boycott international duty and 39 said they would continue to strike for further changes on Friday, with Hermoso claiming "nothing has changed" at the governing body on social media.

However, six of the players who agreed to strike reported at Spain's training camp on Tuesday, with goalkeeper Misa Rodriguez telling reporters she was not glad to join up with the squad as she arrived. 

With the relationship between women's rights and Spanish football under the microscope, Getafe completed the controversial loan signing of Manchester United's Mason Greenwood this month.

Greenwood was arrested and charged with attempted rape, assault and controlling and coercive behaviour last year, with the charges dropped in February after the withdrawal of key witnesses.

While Del Nido was not prepared to comment on Getafe's decision to sign Greenwood, he said Sevilla never considered a move for the forward.

"I read about it in the press and it was never among the options that the sporting director of Sevilla [Victor Orta] managed," Del Nido asserted.

"With it not being within the options of the sporting director of Sevilla, I don't dare to speak about a signing for another club, Getafe, for whom we have a lot of respect. 

"They have made some signings but we have never valued the option of that footballer at a sporting level, so I have nothing to say about that."

Greenwood made his Getafe debut as a substitute on Sunday as they beat Osasuna 3-2 in LaLiga.

Sevilla vice president Jose Maria del Nido has hailed the club's "prodigal son" Sergio Ramos for rejecting a huge offer from Saudi Arabia in order to return to his boyhood team. 

Ramos came through Sevilla's youth system before making his La Liga debut for Los Nervionenses as a 17-year-old in 2004. 

The defender made 39 league appearances for Sevilla before joining Real Madrid in a controversial €27 million move in 2005, going on to win five league titles and four Champions Leagues with Los Blancos. 

After struggling with injuries during a two-year stint in Ligue 1 with Paris-Saint Germain, Ramos was heavily linked with a move to Al-Ittihad, where he could have been reunited with former Madrid team-mate Karim Benzema.

Despite reportedly being offered around €19m per year to join the Saudi champions, Ramos made an emotional return to Sevilla earlier this month, and Del Nido says the club will not forget the sacrifice he made.

Speaking at the Thinking Football Summit, Del Nido told Stats Perform: "We are very happy with Sergio's return.

"First and foremost, we have a great central defender that will help us achieve the objectives we have set for this season. 

"He is a player who was raised in Utrera's youth academy, in Sevilla's youth academy, and he is a player who comes back home as a prodigal son. 

"He is a player with a lot of media attention but the most important thing is the individual and team titles he has won.

"He is a player who has a worldwide impact. We are really happy for him to end as he started. We've signed a great football player and a player that is a Sevilla supporter."

Asked about Ramos rejecting a move to Saudi Arabia, Del Nino added: "Words are really beautiful and really simple to say, but in life, in the end, things are demonstrated with facts. 

"The fact that Sergio has given up a lot of money to play for Sevilla shows the commitment he has, the desire he has, as he said, to hear the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan chant his name. 

"He has shown it with a lot of effort. He waited until we had the money to bring him to the club, then he gave up two economic offers that multiplied the amount he was going to be paid at Sevilla. 

"He has shown his commitment to the club and it is another reason for satisfaction. As we have said, we can only thank him for the effort he has made, among other things, at an economic level."

Ramos made his second Sevilla debut against Las Palmas on Sunday, 18 years and 20 days after playing his last league game for the club against Racing Santander in August 2005.

While Del Nido was delighted to see Ramos reject Al-Ittihad's advances, he believes the financial might of Saudi Pro League sides offers an opportunity for clubs like Sevilla to generate funds.

"We have seen a strong eruption of the Arab market," he said. "They say that clubs from this league invested €600m to €700m. One of the players was our goalkeeper, Yassine Bounou [who joined Al-Hilal].

"We are a club that sells to grow, so the fact there is another league that invests in good footballers is good for us. 

"We have sold good players to Madrid, Barcelona, and clubs of different leagues with a higher economic magnitude than Sevilla and we have continued to compete.

"Now the key is to see if this league is prolonged in time and continues to inject money in Europe. 

"It is true that a player who has earned x millions of euros there, more than what we can pay… that can cause you to not access these players. 

"But the policy we have is to sell to grow. The more leagues invest in good footballers, and if they are from Sevilla, the better for us."

Carlos Carvalhal says he and his coaching staff "changed almost everything" about their approach to football after suffering relegation from the Premier League with Swansea City in 2018.

Carvalhal made a name for himself in the English game by leading Sheffield Wednesday to the Championship play-off final in 2016, where they were beaten by Hull City.

Wednesday were then beaten in the semi-finals after finishing fourth under Carvalhal in 2016-17. That remains their highest second-tier finish since 1990-91, when they were promoted in third.

However, Carvalhal left the Owls for Swansea City in December 2017, only winning eight of 25 games in south Wales and overseeing their relegation from the Premier League the following May.

Carvalhal has since enjoyed something of a renaissance with the likes of Rio Ave and Braga, before moving to Spain to keep Celta Vigo up with a final-day victory over Barcelona last season. 

The Portuguese coach is proud of his achievements since leaving English football, claiming his stint at Swansea provoked a change in his approach to the game.

"After England, we were at Sheffield Wednesday for two and half years and half a year at Swansea, then we stopped for one season," Carvalhal told Stats Perform at the Thinking Football Summit.

"We decided to stop and reflect on the things that we did and the things that we wanted to do in the future. We changed almost everything. In this moment, we saw football in a different way. 

"We are not basing it on the system [anymore], we are basing it on spaces and creating spaces. It's the way that we look at football, completely differently, like a chess player looking at the table.

"The results were fantastic, I can tell you. 

"We took a big risk to go to Rio Ave. Rio Ave is a medium club in Portugal. We were in the Premier League, and nobody from the Premier League goes to Rio Ave. But we decided to go there because it's a calm club, there were some good players, we could put our ideas on the pitch. 

"The reality was that we achieved Europa League [qualification]. Braga the same, we continued improving, in Celta Vigo we improved and we have stopped now to refresh a little again.

"I know €14 million was raised in Rio Ave with the players that we developed, which is very good for the club. Almost €100 million at Braga, and now in Celta Vigo with Gabri Veiga and Javi Galan probably about €50 million. So we are improving players.

"It's something that of course we are very proud of and something that we want to do in the future in the next challenge."

Carvalhal oversaw Rio Ave's best points return in their Primeira Liga history in 2019-20 (55 points), before leading Braga to their third – and most recent – Taca de Portugal one year later.

The 57-year-old has been out of work since leaving Celta in June, but he is ready to get back into the game and believes taking regular breaks is crucial to stay fresh.

"The gaps, I need to rest for my mental health, which I care about. Usually, you never see me have problems with other coaches, with referees and so on, because of these kinds of things.

"I decided [to move] because we did very well [at Braga]. We did the best the club has done in its history. In two seasons, we won the cup and we reached three finals. 

"We achieved the quarter-final of the Europa League, 17 players from the academy played in the first team. At Celta Vigo, we arrived at the club in a very difficult position. We finished in 13th. 

"There's a lot of pressure. So I spoke with my staff, I said I need to stop for three or four months and after, we go back to the market. So at this moment, we are on the market again. 

"We are not under pressure, it's not about money. We can't say that we don't ever go for the money because we never know what will happen tomorrow, but I would prefer to go because of passion and football. Let's see what happens."

Carlos Carvalhal has refused to rule out a move to the Saudi Pro League, also expressing pride for his role in Gabri Veiga's development after the young midfielder joined Al-Ahli.

Carvalhal has been out of work since leaving Celta Vigo in June, having kept the club in La Liga courtesy of a dramatic final-day win over Barcelona.

Prior to his stint in Spain, Carvalhal led Rio Ave to a club-record tally of 55 points in Portugal's Primeira Liga in 2019-20, before moving to Braga and winning the Taca de Portugal the following season. 

The Portuguese coach is no stranger to the Middle East, having managed UAE Pro League outfit Al Wahda in 2022, and he would not necessarily be against a move to Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabian clubs have spent heavily in the transfer market this year, acquiring the likes of Karim Benzema and Neymar after the country's Public Investment Fund took control of four of the league's biggest clubs.

Though many have expressed concern about the financial power of Saudi clubs and the potential for the league to act as a "sportswashing" vehicle for the state, Carvalhal would be open to a move if presented with an attractive project. 

"We never know. We never know. I have said that if the project is structured, let's see," Carvalhal told Stats Perform at the Thinking Football Summit when asked if he would manage in the league.

"It has not been a long time. If the project is to buy good players, with good coaches and also to develop youth football, if there are these kinds of projects in the future, I believe they can do something important.

"I remember China six years ago or seven years ago, they bet with very good coaches, very good players and after one moment they decided, 'no, we don't want this anymore, we are spending too much money', and they finished. 

"It's over to everybody [in Saudi Arabia], let's see if this is consistent, if it will be here for 15 or 20 years. 

"It is very welcome what they are doing – if it's something circumstantial. It's something that we don't know [yet]. "

Carvalhal's Celta side was built largely around the talents of Veiga, who scored twice as they upset Barcelona to clinch survival back in June.

Veiga was linked with Serie A champions Napoli before opting to join Al-Ahli, who also signed Riyad Mahrez, Roberto Firmino, Edouard Mendy, Allan Saint-Maximin and Franck Kessie in the recent window.

Carvalhal is proud to have played a role in Veiga's development, highlighting the way his move brought much-needed funds to Celta.

"Gabri Veiga for Celta Vigo in the B team was like a striker, then we decided to put him in the second midfielder [role] because the way that he plays there, he can score goals and give assists," he said.

"It was a big challenge for him because he started as a striker and after with us, we played with two midfielders, and he was one of the midfielders. 

"He has improved to another level in this kind of position, with the goals and breaking lines. 

"Of course, when he finished the season and we saw that big clubs wanted him, he moved to Saudi Arabia as an option.

"Big money came into the club, of course. We are very proud and very satisfied about everything."

Celta have four points from five matches under Carvalhal's successor Rafael Benitez, who has become the first coach in the club's history to lose his first three home league games at the helm.

Joselu made another telling contribution to help Real Madrid continue their perfect start to the new LaLiga season with a 2-1 win over Real Sociedad.

Espanyol loanee Joselu scored in Madrid’s last-gasp victory over Getafe before the international break a fortnight ago and produced the winner on this occasion to make it five wins from five for Carlo Ancelotti’s side.

Ander Barrenetxea had put Sociedad in front after five minutes but Federico Valverde produced a long-rang special straight after half-time before Joselu’s header on the hour mark clinched all three points for Madrid at Santiago Bernabeu.

Jude Bellingham received the acclaim of the home crowd before kick-off when he was awarded the LaLiga player of the month for August following a stunning start to life in the Spanish capital.

Sociedad silenced the Bernabeu faithful in the fifth minute when Barrenetxea eventually applied the finishing touch to a slick move by the visitors.

After building up play from the back, Kieran Tierney passed into Take Kubo, who crossed in for Barrenetxea and, despite Madrid’s on-loan goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga saving the first effort of the Sociedad attacker, Barrenetxea was first to the rebound to force the ball over the line.

Kubo continued to impress against his old club Madrid and ended a fine first half for the away side with a cheeky nutmeg on Toni Kroos.

The Madrid supporters were on their feet straight after the interval when Valverde sidefooted home from the edge of the area.

It took Ancelotti’s team only 40 seconds of the second half to level when he rifled into the corner after being teed up by Fran Garcia.

Garcia was also the creator in chief for what proved the winner in the 60th minute.

Left-back Garcia was given too much space out wide and clipped in a superb delivery for the unmarked Joselu to head in from six yards for the Spanish veteran’s second goal of the season.

Ancelotti brought off the forward two minutes later with Luka Modric and Eduardo Camavinga introduced and they helped Madrid hold on to secure a fifth straight LaLiga victory this season, but only after Bellingham was denied another goal when his late diving header was stopped by Alex Remiro.

Madrid now turn their attention to the Champions League, which resumes in midweek and the 14-time European Cup winners begin their campaign with a home fixture against Union Berlin on Wednesday.