Neville opens doors to Valencia fans

Madrid - New Valencia coach Gary Neville has taken a step towards endearing himself to the club's fans by allowing supporters to watch his first full training session in charge on Monday.

Neville was appointed on Wednesday, but watched on from the stands at the weekend as Valencia salvaged a 1-1 draw against European champions Barcelona under the caretaker charge of Voro and Gary's brother Phil Neville.

Open training sessions which the fans can attend are a long-running tradition in Spanish football, but many clubs have scaled back the practice in recent seasons seeking greater privacy to prepare for games.

Indeed, Valencia hadn't had an open training session for nearly a year and the news was warmly welcomed by fans on social media.

Neville's first game in charge is on Wednesday as Valencia look to qualify for the last 16 of the Champions League for the first time in three years.

The Spanish side need to beat Lyon at home and hope Belgian champions Gent fail to beat the already qualified Zenit St Petersburg.