Valencia Club de Fútbol are one of the most successful clubs in Spanish football, and in recent years Valencia football tickets have come to rival the traditional giants, Barcelona and Real Madrid, in value. Valencia have been active at the highest levels of the game domestically and in Europe.
They hold six La Liga titles, six Copa del Rey trophies, three UEFA Cups, one UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup and two UEFA Super Cups. They were the UEFA Champions League final runners-up in both 2000 and 2001, reflecting their attainment in recent years. Valencia lost to their La Liga rivals Real Madrid in 2000, and German giants Bayern Munich in 2001.
Valencia’s founding in 1919, has been the object of much interest due to its novel and spontaneous nature. The idea of creating a football club was placed in motion during a discussion in a bar in the centre of the city, and the club’s first president, Octavio Augusto Milego, was elected by the toss of a coin. Milego worked with other football pioneers at building the club, and the first Valencian board of directors slowly came together. Football had been imported into Valencia by people in the citrus fruits export business who had visited Great Britain, the navel of world football. British sailors at Valencian ports were a common sight, playing football.
Valencia have played football at their 53,311-capacity Estadio Mestalla since 1923. In 2009 they will relocate to the 75,000-seater Nou Mestalla Stadium in a different part of the city. Valencia enjoy fierce rivalries with local teams Levante and Villarreal, and tickets to Valencia Villareal games are always hard to find.
More recently, in 2005, Getafe coach Quique Sanchez Flores was brought toValencia, and managed to place the side a respectable 3rd place, earning Valencia a Champions League place. Champions League tickets to Valencia games were snapped up by football fans wishing to see Los Che, as they call their team. The 2006/2007 season started with understandable hopes for La Liga, but numerous injuries to major players and internal strife between various officials and players brought things to a grinding halt. Despite the problems, they ended that season in 4th place but were knocked out of the Champions League at the quarter-finals stage by Chelsea. Valencia had already knocked out Italian Champions Inter Milan in the second round, so the season hadn’t been completely washed out; they had once again showed the world what they could do, and their attendance figures told the world just how eager their fans were to buy Valencia tickets. The internal problems were resolved in 2007, with Carboni being replaced by Angel Ruiz as the new Sporting Director of Valencia.
Valencia’s logo carries the distinctive logo of the bat with outstretched wings above the shield which bears the red and yellow stripes, and a football. The bat symbol is said to extend back to the thirteenth century, during the wars between the Moors and King Jaume I of Catalunya and Aragon. When King Jaume I was about to enter Valencia, to reclaim it from the Moors, a bat landed on the top of his flag, and this was interpreted as a good omen. Jaume I conquered Valencia, and the bat became a fixture on the coat of arms.
Full name Valencia Club de Fútbol
Nickname Los Che
Founded 1919
Ground Estadio Mestalla, Valencia, Spain
Capacity 53,311
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