Valverde's knowledge of Barca and his many years of experience of coaching in Spain saw him pip Argentine Jorge Sampaoli and Luis Enrique's assistant Juan Carlos Unzue to the top job.
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The same "hand of God" brought the papacy to Argentina as helped it to the 1986 World Cup, says Diego Maradona, the soccer legend whose famously illicit, handled goal against England still excites passions at home and abroad.
In a lifetime of teaching and leading priests in Latin America, which has the largest share of the world's Catholics, Bergoglio has shown a keen political sensibility as well as the kind of self-effacing humility that fellow cardinals value highly, says his official biographer, Sergio Rubin.
Chile's euphoria at reaching the final of the Copa America was tempered by the reminder that every time they have been in this position before they have finished as runners-up.
Argentina produced their best performance of the Copa America so far to crush Paraguay 6-1 and set up a classic final against hosts Chile.
Diego Maradona's girlfriend Victoria Ojeda has given birth to a boy called Diego Fernando and the Argentine soccer great is now expected to travel back to Buenos Aires to meet his son.
Marc Marquez won the German MotoGP on Sunday to go top of the championship in his debut season after previous leader Dani Pedrosa withdrew before the race following a crash on Saturday.
Chen scores world record for massive lead over shocked Hanyu
Alfredo Di Stefano may have kicked a ball about with Argentine compatriot Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who was elected Pope Francis I last week, when they were growing up around the same time in Buenos Aires, the Real Madrid great has said.
Roma teenager Afena-Gyan plays down apparent racist remark.
Chelsea's Spanish striker Diego Costa was named along with usual suspects Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the 23- man FIFA Ballon D'Or short-list released on Tuesday.
Pope Francis I is the first ever Jesuit to be anointed pope. The Jesuits are one of the largest and most powerful orders under the Roman Catholic Church. Here are some interesting facts about this order that you may not have known.
The childhood sweetheart of Pope Francis has revealed that she had been forced to reject his marriage offer in youth, a move that eventually led him to devote his life to God.
A look at some of the Popemobiles over the years
'Suddenly you become part of a very large humanity.' Bathing in the Ganga at the Maha Kumbh Mela left a lasting impression on Harvard investigators, finds Arthur J Pais.
The new pope, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, is not above the passion his countrymen share for soccer and is an avid a fan of San Lorenzo, one of Argentina's top clubs.
White smoke! Loud cheers and celebrations erupted as the chimney over the Sistine Chapel in Vatican billowed white smoke, signalling the election of a new Pope to lead 1.2 billion Catholics.
Unions representing the majority of workers at Fiat Chrysler in Italy rejected a strike called by an independent labour group in protest against the huge sums of money spent by Italy's Juventus soccer club to sign Cristiano Ronaldo.
After taking over as Britain's prime minister, Theresa May has joined a small but growing band of female world leaders.
Pune boy Arjun Kadhe and his Peruvian partner Jorge Brian Panta Herreros failed to make it to the semi-finals of the boys' doubles at the French Open. They were halted in their stride in the quarter-finals on Thursday by the Australian pair of Andrew Harris and Nick Kyrgios, who won 6-2, 5-7, 11-9.
MotoGP championship leader Valentino Rossi will start the season finale in Valencia from the back of the grid after the Italian was penalised for clashing with Marc Marquez at the Malaysian Grand Prix on Sunday.
Dani Pedrosa claimed his second victory of the season as the Spaniard won the Indianapolis MotoGP in emphatic fashion on Sunday.
Dani Pedrosa put on a wet-weather master class to capture a rain-shortened Malaysian Grand Prix on Sunday and keep the pressure on MotoGP championship leader Jorge Lorenzo after notching a fifth victory in six races.
Jorge Lorenzo's record-shattering late burst put the MotoGP championship leader on pole position for Sunday's Malaysian Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit.
Zenit St Petersburg striker Hulk scored after nine minutes when he muscled his way past a defender and fired home from 12 metres.
India's Arjun Kadhe and his Peruvian partner Jorge Brian Panta Herreros stormed into the quarter-finals of the boys' doubles at the French Open on Wednesday. The unseeded pair beat third seeds Julien Cagnina of Belgium and Luke Saville of Australia 6-3, 7-6 (7-4).
Former under-10 world champion Sahaj Grover completed the formalities to become a Grandmaster defeating Jorge Cori of Peru in the ninth round of the World Junior Chess Championship in Athens, Greece.
Are you worried your personal information linked to Aadhar may be compromised?
Honda's Dani Pedrosa kept his slim MotoGP title hopes alive by beating fellow Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo to win the Japanese Grand Prix for the second year in a row on Sunday.
Yamaha's Jorge Lorenzo easily won the Italian MotoGP on Sunday, stretching his advantage at the top of the riders' championship with an assured performance.
Speaking to Sky Italia at the Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai, Jorge Mendes said the deal would have been worth 100 million euros a year to the Portugal striker.
Dani Pedrosa won the German MotoGP in dramatic circumstances on Sunday after his Honda team mate Casey Stoner, who started in pole position crashed out of the race on the last lap of the Sachsenring.
FC Goa clinched their first win of the ongoing Indian Super League season as they beat Kerala Blasters 3-1 at the Fatorda Stadium, in Margao, on Sunday.
Honda's Dani Pedrosa cruised to victory at the Aragon Grand Prix ahead of championship leader Jorge Lorenzo of Yamaha on Sunday to trim the gap to his Spanish compatriot to 33 points with four races left.
Jorge Valdivia steered home a cross from Jean Beausejour in the 13th minute to give the Chileans the victory in a match in Rancagua that they dominated throughout.
Spanish rookie Marc Marquez became the youngest ever MotoGP world champion at the age of 20 when he finished third in the 18th and final race of the season in Valencia on Sunday.
The United States Customs and Border Protection closed the border between Tijuana in Mexico and San Diego in California and used tear gas on migrants and refugees, including children, whoever tried to cross the border fence. The incident took place because of rising frustrations among immigrants due to slow processing of their asylum claims by the US authorities.
Rediff.com shows you how people across the world cope with the unremitting July heat wave.
Australian Casey Stoner ran away with the Dutch GP on Saturday to go level with Yamaha's Jorge Lorenzo at the top of the MotoGP championship after the Spaniard was taken out at the first corner.
