Luis Rioja - Soccer News, Rumors, & Updates

Sidelined for four to six weeks The player will be sidelined for four to six weeks due to a quadriceps muscle injury, German Munoz reports.

Impact Rioja is facing four to six weeks out with a quadriceps injury just as Valencia head into the new 2026-27 season, a tough setback after he established himself as a mainstay on the right wing last year with three goals, six assists, and 31 starts across 37 appearances. His absence to open the campaign exposes a lack of depth at winger, with Ryunosuke Sato and Arnaut Danjuma the only real alternatives currently poised to start. That thin cover adds pressure on Valencia to bring in further reinforcements at the position unless they are comfortable relying on those two for an extended stretch.

AUGUST 4 • ROTOWIRE

Could miss start of season Rioja (undisclosed) is injured and could miss the start of the 2026/27 La Liga season, according to Nacho Sanchis of A Punt Esports.

Impact Rioja finished last season with three goals and six assists across 37 appearances, including 31 starts, establishing himself as a key contributor on the right flank of Valenica. His potential absence to open the new 2026/27 campaign creates urgency for the club to reinforce that position, and Arnaut Danjuma could see more playing time up front if Rioja is indeed unavailable for the opener against Celta Vigo on Aug. 22.

AUGUST 4 • ROTOWIRE

Scores in finale Rioja scored one goal to go with three shots (one on goal), five crosses (two accurate) and four corners in Saturday's 3-1 win versus Barcelona.

Impact Rioja found the back of the net in Saturday's season finale, an unassisted strike in the 71st minute which gave his side a 2-1 lead. It was one of three shots he took in the match and he also created two chances for the third time in his last four appearances. It was a decent campaign for Rioja as he scored three goals and provided six assists across 37 appearances (31 starts).

MAY 24 • ROTOWIRE

Can't score but looks active Rioja generated two shots (zero on goal), one cross (one accurate) and one corner in Thursday's 1-1 draw versus Rayo Vallecano.

Impact Rioja was one of several Valencia players who looked quite active going forward despite being unable to find the back of the net. The winger has been a regular starter pretty much all season long for Valencia, and that shouldn't change ahead of the final two games of the 2025/26 league campaign.

MAY 15 • ROTOWIRE

Tallies assist Rioja assisted once to go with one shot (zero on goal), five crosses (one accurate) and one corner in Sunday's 1-0 victory against Athletic.

Impact Rioja did his part in the offense, even if only one of his crosses was deemed to be accurate. He got an assist on the winning goal to help Valencia take a step towards staying in La Liga for next season. The midfielder will likely need to be better to have an assist against a Rayo Vallecano team which has allowed 41 goals through 34 La Liga matches.

MAY 10 • ROTOWIRE

Assists with cross in win Rioja assisted once to go with one shot (zero on goal), two crosses (one accurate) and one chance created in Saturday's 2-0 victory against Sevilla.

Impact Roja powered an in-swinger across the six-yard box Sunday to assist Valencia's second goal in their resounding 2-0 win over Sevilla. The forward also contributed one interception to the clean sheet effort throughout his 90 minutes of play. Roja's five assists across 28 appearances (23 starts) mark a new career-high over seven career La Liga campaigns.

MARCH 23 • ROTOWIRE

Logs assist in win Rioja made and assist, created two chances and sent in six crosses (one accurate) during Sunday's 2-0 win over Levante.

Impact Rioja brought a lot of activity from the flank with his biggest highlight being the assist for Largie Ramazani to open the scoring midway through the second frame. That's now one goal and one assist over the last three starts for the attacker, who's starting to heat up again in a campaign full of ups and downs.

FEBRUARY 17 • ROTOWIRE

Scores in loss Rioja scored one goal to go with three shots (one on goal), six crosses (two accurate) and four corners in Sunday's 2-1 defeat against Betis.

Impact Rioja found the back of the net during Sunday's loss, as well as sending in six cross with a duty on set-pieces. It was a solid showing individually, but the loss is still a disappointment. Rioja has some brutal matches coming up, and he will need to be efficient to have any chance of building off this goal.

FEBRUARY 2 • ROTOWIRE

Creative display in draw Rioja recorded three shots (zero on goal), six crosses (one accurate) and three corners in Saturday's 1-1 draw against Elche.

Impact Rioja returned to the starting lineup after coming off the bench in the previous match against Celta Vigo and did not disappoint, staying very active and creating three chances. He has one goal and three assists on the season, but his underlying numbers show more involvement than the output suggests, with 25 shots and 19 chances created, placing him among the top wingers in LaLiga. Rioja continues to be more influential than his goal contributions indicate and will look to turn that upside into end product in the next fixture against mid-table Getafe.

JANUARY 13 • ROTOWIRE

Active display in draw Rioja had five off-target shots, created three chances and sent in eight crosses (two accurate) during Friday's 1-1 draw against Mallorca.

Impact Rioja was lively throughout the match, constantly driving play from the left and finishing a lot of plays despite lacking accuracy in front of goal, while his three chances created showed he remained influential in the buildup. This was his best performance in a while, and he looked fully recovered from the illness that kept him out of the previous league match.

DECEMBER 22, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

Logs minutes in midweek match Rioja (illness) played off the bench in Tuesday's 2-0 win over Sporting Gijon in the Copa del Rey.

Impact Rioja missed the game against Atletico Madrid due to an illness, but he was fit enough to see minutes in the second half as Valencia cruised to victory in the Copa del Rey. Expect Rioja to be a solid depth piece in the final third for Valencia, particularly since Lucas Beltran (illness) and Arnaut Danjuma (ankle) are doubts to face Mallorca.

DECEMBER 18, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

Won't play Saturday Rioja (illness) won't be available for Saturday's game against Atletico Madrid, David Torres of El Desmarque reports.

Impact Rioja has been battling the flu and won't be an option to feature this weekend. Lucas Beltran and Dani Raba are options to take his place in the lineup. Rioja will aim to recover and rebuild his fitness for the match against Mallorca on Dec. 19, which will be the final match of the year for the club.

DECEMBER 12, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

Battling illness Rioja is dealing with an illness and is a heavy doubt to play Saturday against Atletico Madrid, manager Carlos Corberan told media during Friday's press conference.

Impact Rioja is the third Valencia player to fall ill this week, with Jose Gaya and Javi Guerra also affected by the bug. If Rioja is unable to play, look for Lucas Beltran or Dani Raba to fill the void in the final third. Rioja has one goal and three assists across 15 appearances (12 starts) this season.

DECEMBER 12, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

Unimpressive performance in draw Rioja registered six crosses (zero accurate) and one corner in Sunday's 1-1 draw against Sevilla.

Impact Rioja finished without a shot on goal or accurate cross for the third consecutive game as he continued to struggle on the right wing Sunday. The attacker remains with one goal and three assists, ranking fourth and first on the squad, respectively, after 15 La Liga 2025/26 games. His offensive upside is somewhat diminished by his recent lack of set pieces, but he could still be a decisive contributor if he corrects his aim going forward.

DECEMBER 7, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

Sends in six crosses in draw Rioja recorded two shots (zero on goal) and six crosses (zero accurate) in Monday's 1-1 draw against Rayo Vallecano.

Impact Rioja co-led Valencia in crosses during the road draw. The midfielder also took the second-most shots for his side. That was his 11th start in 14 appearances in 2025-26.

DECEMBER 3, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

Signs new contract Rioja has signed a new contract with Valencia until the end of the 2026/27 season, the club announced Thursday.

Impact Rioja has established himself as a regular for Valencia, so the new contract isn't entirely surprising. He has started in 10 of his 13 appearances this season, tallying one goal and three assists, and he also started in 33 of 36 matches in 2024/25.

NOVEMBER 27, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

Scores equalizer as sub Rioja scored one goal to go with two shots (one on goal), six crosses (two accurate) and five corners in Sunday's 1-1 draw versus Betis.

Impact Rioja subbed on in the second half and scored the equalizer in the 82nd minute with his first goal in the campaign. He matched his season-high in shots as well. The midfielder took five of Valencia's seven corner kicks.

NOVEMBER 12, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

Sets up opener Rioja assisted once to go with one shot (zero on goal), four crosses (two accurate) and one corner in Tuesday's 2-1 defeat to Oviedo.

Impact Rioja set up Arnaut Danjuma for the opener in the fourth minute. Rioja created three chances and also contributed defensively with three interceptions, two tackles and a clearance. He has now assisted thrice in the last five games.

OCTOBER 1, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

Sets up opener Rioja assisted once to go with two shots (zero on goal), two crosses (one accurate) and one corner in Tuesday's 2-2 draw against Espanyol.

Impact Rioja set up Arnaut Danjuma for the opener in the 15th minute. Rioja also made two clearances, one tackle and one interception. This was his second assist in four games.

SEPTEMBER 24, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

Sets up opening goal Friday Rioja assisted once to go with seven crosses (three accurate) and six corners in Friday's 3-0 win versus Getafe.

Impact Rioja set up Valencia's opening goal with a perfect delivery from the corner that was nodded home by Mouctar Diakhaby. This was his first assist of the season, but Rioja has been a steady threat on the wing for Valencia. He has 13 crosses and seven corners taken in the first three matches of the campaign.

SEPTEMBER 2, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

Six crosses Wednesday Rioja generated one shot (one on goal), six crosses (three accurate) and two corners in Wednesday's 1-0 defeat versus Deportivo Alaves.

Impact Rioja sent in six crosses during Wednesday's loss, while also taking a pair of corners. The winger failed to get on the scoresheet but put together a decent showing on the whole throughout Wednesday's clash. He will hope to keep this form going to close out the campaign.

MAY 14, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

Assists in 1-1 draw Rioja assisted once to go with two shots (two on goal), 13 crosses (three accurate) and four corners in Tuesday's 1-1 draw against Espanyol.

Impact Rioja logged his first goal contribution in six outings, as he set up Javi Guerra, who buried a shot from the center of the box in the 57th minute of play. Additionally, this marked the first time this season that Rioja accounted for more than one shot on target. He also set a season-high with four chances created.

APRIL 24, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

Suspension cleared Rioja completed his one-match suspension and will be eligible to face Sevilla on Friday.

Impact Rioja missed Saturday's 2-1 victory against Real Madrid due to suspension and is now expected to return directly in the starting squad as the right-back since he has been an undispute starter this season.

APRIL 7, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

Picks one match suspension Rioja will serve a one-match ban due to an accumulation of five yellow cards.

Impact Rioja accumulated five yellow cards in La Liga and will be suspended for the game against Real Madrid on Saturday. His absence will impact the starting squad since he has been a regular starter this season, with Umar Sadiq likely seeing a larger role in the frontline for that game.

MARCH 31, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

Makes bench Rioja (undisclosed) is on the bench for Saturday's match against Girona.

Impact Rioja appears to have passed his testing after being announced as a late call, as he is on the bench to face Girona. He is a regular starter, so the attacker will hope to see some time to test his legs and make the starting XI next contest.

MARCH 15, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

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