Madrid  - Spanish giants Valencia Wednedsay cancelled the contract of Ivan Helguera.

Helguera, 33, was under contract at Valencia until 2010, but is now a free agent to join any club in the January transfer window.

Helguera - who won the Champions League with Real Madrid in 2000 and 2002 - joined Valencia on a free transfer in July 2007.

He has hardly played this season due to a stormy relationship with coach Unai Emery.

On Wednesday Emery and Helguera had another dressing-room bust-up, after the veteran, as a joke, had changed the words that Emery had written on a blackboard during a tactical theoretical session.

Helguera is the second player to be thrown out by Emery. Last week German goalkeeeper Timo Hildebrand was shown the door, and promptly signed for Bundesliga leaders Hoffenheim. (dpa)