:Valencia CF

{{Main|History of Valencia CF}}

The club was established on 5 March 1919 and officially approved on 18 March 1919, with Octavio Augusto Milego Díaz as its first president; incidentally, the presidency was decided by a coin toss. The club played its first competitive match away from home on 21 May 1919 against Valencia Gimnástico, and lost the match 1–0.

Valencia moved into the Mestalla Stadium in 1923, having played its home matches at the Algirós ground since 7 December 1919. The first match at Mestalla pitted the home side against Castellón Castalia and ended in a 0–0 draw. In another match the day after, Valencia won 1–0 against the same opposition. Valencia CF won the Regional Championship in 1923, and was eligible to play in the domestic Copa del Rey cup competition for the first time in its history.

file:Valencia_cf_festejando_con_la_copa_1941.jpg

The Spanish Civil War halted the progress of the Valencia team until 1941, when it won the Copa del Rey, beating RCD Espanyol in the final. In the 1941–42 season, the club won its first Spanish La Liga championship title, although winning the Copa del Rey was more reputable than the championship at that time. The club maintained its consistency to capture the league title again in the 1943–44 season, as well as the 1946–47 league edition. They would conclude their decade of success by winning the 1949 Copa del Rey; this meant Valencia ended the decade with a record of three La Liga and two Copa del Rey titles. This success would help cement the club's name in Spanish football.

File:Faas Wilkes 1955.jpg in 1955]]

In the 1950s, Valencia failed to emulate the success of the previous decade, even though it grew as a club. A restructuring of Mestalla resulted in an increase in spectator capacity to 45,000, while the club had a number of Spanish and foreign stars. Players such as Spanish international Antonio Puchades and Dutch forward Faas Wilkes graced the pitch at Mestalla. In the 1952–53 season, the club finished as runners-up in La Liga, and in the following season, won the Copa del Rey, then known as the Copa del Generalísimo.

While managing average league form in the early 1960s, Valencia had its first European success in the form of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup (the forerunner to the UEFA Cup), defeating Barcelona in the final of the 1961–62 edition. The following edition of the tournament pitted Valencia against Croatian club Dinamo Zagreb in the final, which the Spanish side also won. Valencia reached a third consecutive Inter-Cities Fairs Cup final in the following season, but this time were defeated 2–1 by fellow Spanish club Zaragoza.

File:Kempes Valencia CF.jpg in 1982]]

Former two-time European Footballer of the Year award winner Alfredo Di Stéfano was hired as Valencia coach in 1970, and immediately inspired his new club to their fourth La Liga championship and first since 1947. This secured Valencia its first qualification for the prestigious European Cup, contested by the various European domestic champions. Valencia reached the third round of the 1971–72 competition before losing both legs to Hungarian champions Újpesti Dózsa. In 1972 the club also finished runners-up both in La Liga and the domestic cup, losing to Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid, respectively. The most notable players of the 1970s era include Austrian midfielder Kurt Jara, forward Johnny Rep of the Netherlands and Argentinian forward Mario Kempes, who was consecutively La Liga top scorer in 1976–77 and 1977–78. Valencia would go on to win the Copa del Rey again in the 1978–79 season, and also capture the European Cup Winners' Cup the next season, after beating English club Arsenal in the final, and the European Super Cup against Nottingham Forest thanks to the away goals rule, with Kempes spearheading their success in Europe.

File:Inauguració del Camp de la Forana (Alginet, País Valencià, 1980).jpg, August 1980. Up: Felman, Manzanedo, Orlando Giménez, Cerveró, Vilarrodà, Subirats, Carrete, and Arias. Down: Kempes, Morena, and Sol.]]

In 1982, the club appointed Miljan Miljanić as coach. After a disappointing season, Valencia was in 17th place and faced relegation with seven games left to play. Koldo Aguirre replaced Miljanić as coach, and Valencia barely avoided relegation that year, relying on favorable results from other teams to ensure their own survival. In the 1983–84 and 1984–85 seasons, the club was heavily in debt under the presidency of Vicente Tormo. The club finally hit rock bottom when it was relegated at the end of the 1985–86 season, and riven with internal problems such as unpaid player and staff wages, as well as poor morale. The club was relegated for the first time after 55 years in Spanish top-flight football.

Arturo Tuzón was named the new club president, and he helped steer Valencia back to La Liga. Alfredo Di Stéfano returned as coach in 1986 and Valencia won promotion again following the 1986–87 season. Di Stéfano stayed on as coach until the 1987–88 season, when the team finished in 14th position in La Liga. Bulgarian forward Luboslav Penev joined the club in 1989, as Valencia aimed to consolidate their place in La Liga. In the 1988–89 La Liga season, Valencia finished third, which would signal their competitiveness going into the 1990s.

File:Fernando Gómez Colomer.jpeg is the player with the most appearances for the club with 556]]

In the 1989–90 La Liga season, Valencia finished as runners-up to Real Madrid, and thus qualified for the UEFA Cup.

Guus Hiddink was appointed as head coach in the 1991–92 season, and the club finished fourth in the League and reached the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey. In 1992, Valencia officially became a Sporting Limited Company, and retained Hiddink as their coach until 1993.

Brazilian coach Carlos Alberto Parreira, fresh from winning the 1994 FIFA World Cup with the Brazil national team, became manager at Mestalla in 1994. Parreira immediately signed Spanish goalkeeper Andoni Zubizarreta, Russian forward Oleg Salenko, and Predrag Mijatović, but failed to produce results expected of him. He was replaced by new coach José Manuel Rielo. The club's earlier successes continued to elude it, although it was not short of top coaching staff like Luis Aragonés and Jorge Valdano, as well as foreign star forwards like Brazilian Romário, Claudio López, Ariel Ortega from Argentina, and Adrian Ilie from Romania. In the 1995–96 La Liga season, Valencia finished second to Atlético Madrid, being unable to capture the title after a close fought race.

Valencia would struggle for the next two seasons, but the 1998–99 La Liga season would signal the start of one of the club's most successful periods in their history; they lifted their first trophy in nineteen years by winning the 1998–99 Copa del Rey under Claudio Ranieri, and also qualified for the UEFA Champions League.

Valencia started the 1999–2000 season by winning another title, beating Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup. Valencia finished third in the league, four points behind champions Deportivo La Coruña, and level on points with second-placed Barça. The biggest success for the club, however, was in the Champions League; for the first time in its history, Valencia reached the European Cup final. However, in the final played in Paris on 24 May 2000, Real Madrid would beat Valencia 3–0.

The final would also be Claudio López's farewell, as he had agreed to sign for Italian side Lazio; also leaving was Farinós for Inter Milan and Gerard for Barcelona. The notable signings of that summer were John Carew, Rubén Baraja, Roberto Ayala, Vicente Rodríguez, and Brazilian left-back Fábio Aurélio. That season Valencia also bought Pablo Aimar in the winter transfer window. Baraja, Aimar, Vicente, and Ayala would soon become a staple of Valencia's dominance of the early 2000s in La Liga.

{{football squad on pitch|align=right

| GK = Cañizares

| RB = Angloma

| RCB = Djukic

| LCB = Pellegrino

| LB = Gerardo

| RM = Mendieta

| CM = Farinós

| LM = K. González

| RCF = Angulo

| SS = Gerard

| LCF = Claudio López

| caption = 2000 UEFA Champions League Final starting lineup

}}

Valencia started the championship on the right foot and were top of the league after ten games. After the Christmas break, however, Valencia started to pay for the top demand that such a draining competition like the Champions League requires. After passing the two mini-league phases, Héctor Cúper's team eliminated English sides Arsenal in the quarter-finals and Leeds United in the semi-finals, reaching the final for the second consecutive year. In the final match against Bayern Munich, played in Milan at the San Siro on 23 May, Gaizka Mendieta gave Valencia the lead by scoring from the penalty spot right at the start of the match. Goalkeeper Santiago Cañizares then stopped a penalty from Mehmet Scholl, but Stefan Effenberg drew Bayern level after the break thanks to another penalty. After extra time, the match went to a penalty shoot-out, where a Mauricio Pellegrino miss gave Bayern Champions League glory and dealt Valencia a second-straight defeat in the final. Valencia went on to slip to fifth place in La Liga and out of the Champions League positions for the 2001–02 season. Going into the final league match, Valencia only needed a draw at the Camp Nou against Barcelona to seal Champions League qualification. However, Los Che lost to Barcelona 3–2, with a last minute goal completing a hat-trick from Rivaldo, resulting in Barcelona qualifying for the Champions League ahead of their side.

Valencia president D. Pedro Cortés resigned for personal reasons and left the club in July, with the satisfaction of overseeing the club win the Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup, as well as reaching two successive Champions League finals. D. Jaime Ortí replaced Cortés as president and expressed his intention of maintaining the good form that had made the club so admired on the European circuit. There were also some changes in the team and staff. Rafael Benítez, after helping Tenerife to promotion, replaced Héctor Cúper after the latter became the new coach at Inter in Italy. Among the playing squad, Gaizka Mendieta, Didier Deschamps, Luis Milla, and Zlatko Zahovič left, while Carlos Marchena, Mista, Curro Torres, Francisco Rufete, Gonzalo de los Santos, and Salva Ballesta all arrived.

From 1999 up until the end of the 2004 season, Valencia had one of their most successful periods in the club's history. With a total of two La Liga titles, a UEFA Cup, a Copa del Rey, and a UEFA Super Cup in those six years, no less than five first class titles and two Champions League finals had been achieved.File:Roberto Ayala y Javier Zanetti - 07FEB2007 - Francia - presidencia-govar.jpg had been a key component in their defense]]

That first match against fellow title rivals Real Madrid produced a significant and important victory. This was followed by a record of eleven consecutive wins, breaking their existing record set in the 1970–71 season, which was also the club's La Liga title win under Alfredo Di Stéfano.

After a defeat in A Coruña against Deportivo on 9 December 2001, the team had to overcome Espanyol at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys to avoid further backsliding behind the league leaders. at half-time, Valencia were 2–0 down, but a comeback in the second half saw them win 3–2.

In the second part of the season, Benítez's team suffered a temporary setback after losing 1–0 at the Santiago Bernabéu to Real Madrid, but in the coming six matches they recovered from this defeat and achieved four victories and two draws.

{{football squad on pitch|align=right

| GK = Cañizares

| RB = Angloma

| RCB = Ayala

| LCB = Pellegrino

| LB = Carboni

| RCM = Mendieta

| DM = Baraja

| LCM = K. González

| RCF = Carew

| SS = Aimar

| LCF = Juan Sánchez

| caption = 2001 UEFA Champions League Final starting lineup

}}

In one of these crucial games against Espanyol, Valencia were trailing 1–0 at half-time and down a player as well following the dismissal of Carboni. However, after a second half brace from Rubén Baraja, they would achieve a 2–1 comeback win. Furthermore, Real Madrid's defeat at the Anoeta to Real Sociedad left Valencia with a three-point lead at the top of the table.

Valencia's final game of the season was on 5 May 2002 at La Rosaleda against Málaga, a day that has gone down in Valencia's history. The team shut itself away in Benalmádena, close to the scene of the game, in order to gain focus. An early goal from Roberto Ayala and another close to half-time from Fábio Aurélio secured Valencia a fifth La Liga crown, 31 years after their last title win.

The 2002–03 season was a disappointing one for Valencia, as they failed in their attempt to retain the La Liga title and ended up outside of the Champions League spots in fifth, behind Celta Vigo. They were also knocked out in the quarter-finals of the Champions League by Inter Milan on away goals. The 2003–04 season saw Valencia trailing longtime leaders Real Madrid. In February, with 26 matches played, Madrid were eight points clear at the top of the table.{{Cite web|url=http://www.resultsfromfootball.com/spain/2003-2004/primera-division/26/|title=Stage 26, Primera Division season 2003-2004|website=www.resultsfromfootball.com|access-date=29 December 2019|archive-date=29 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191229052654/http://www.resultsfromfootball.com/spain/2003-2004/primera-division/26/|url-status=dead}} However, their form severely declined in the late stage of the season, and consecutive losses in their last five games of the campaign allowed Valencia to overtake them and claim the title, their second in three seasons. The club also added the UEFA Cup to this success, defeating Marseille 2–0 in the final.

In the summer of 2004, manager Benítez decided to depart Valencia, stating he had had problems with the club president; he would soon become head coach of Liverpool. He was replaced by former Valencia coach Claudio Ranieri, who had recently been sacked by Chelsea. Despite lifting the European Super Cup after defeating UEFA Champions League winners Porto, his second reign at the club was a disappointment; Valencia harboured realistic hopes of retaining their La Liga crown but, by February, found themselves in seventh place. Valencia had also been knocked out of the Champions League group phase, with Ranieri being sacked promptly in February. The 2004–05 season ended with Valencia outside of the UEFA Cup spots.

In the summer of 2005, Getafe coach Quique Flores was appointed as the new manager of Valencia and ended the season in third place, which in turn gained Valencia a place in the Champions League after a season away from the competition. The 2006–07 season was one with many difficulties; a campaign which started with realistic hopes of challenging for the title was disrupted with a huge list of injuries to key players, as well as internal arguments between Flores and new sporting director Amedeo Carboni. Valencia ended the season in fourth place and were knocked out of the Champions League in the quarter-finals by Chelsea 3–2 on aggregate, after they had knocked out Italian champions Inter in the second round. In the summer of 2007, the internal fight between Flores and Carboni was settled, with Carboni being replaced by Ángel Ruiz as the new sporting director of Valencia.

On 29 October 2007, the Valencia board of directors fired Flores after a string of disappointing performances, and caretaker manager Óscar Fernández took over on a temporary basis until a full-time manager was found, rumoured to be either Marcello Lippi or José Mourinho. A day later, Dutch manager Ronald Koeman announced he would be leaving PSV Eindhoven to sign for Valencia. However, Koeman's appointment failed to lead to improvement; in fact, Valencia even went on to drop to the 15th position in the league, just two points above the relegation zone. Despite their poor league form, Valencia would still go on to lift the Copa del Rey on 16 April 2008, following a 3–1 victory over Getafe at the Vicente Calderón. This was the club's seventh Copa title. Five days later, one day after a devastating 5–1 league defeat in Bilbao, Valencia fired Koeman and replaced him with Voro, who would guide Valencia as caretaker manager for the remainder of the season. He went on to win the first match since the sacking of Koeman, beating Osasuna 3–0. Voro would eventually drag Valencia from the relegation battle to a safe mid-table finish of tenth place, finally ending a disastrous league campaign for Los Che.

File:Manolo Llorente.jpg]]

File:Sentiment Valencianista.jpg]]

Highly rated Unai Emery was announced as the new head coach of Valencia on 22 May 2008. The start of the young manager's career looked to be promising, with the club winning four out of its first five games, a surge that saw the team rise to the top position of the La Liga table. Despite looking impressive in Europe, Los Che then hit a poor run of form in the league that saw them dip as low as seventh in the standings. Amid the slump emerged reports of a massive internal debt at the club exceeding 400 million euros, as well as that the players had been unpaid for weeks. The team's problems were compounded when they were knocked out of the UEFA Cup by Dynamo Kyiv on away goals. After a run where Valencia took only five points from ten games in La Liga, an announcement was made that the club had secured a loan that would cover the players' expenses until the end of the year. This announcement coincided with an upturn in form, and the club won six of its next eight games to surge back into the critical fourth place Champions' League spot. However, Los Che were then pushed down to sixth place in the league following defeats to top four rivals Atlético Madrid and Villarreal in two of their final three games, meaning they failed to qualify for the Champions League for a second successive season.

File:Albelda 2012.jpg became one of the most recognisable players of Valencia CF.{{Cite news|url=https://elpais.com/deportes/2013/08/07/actualidad/1375895041_910972.html|website=El País|title=Albelda se retira del fútbol profesional|date=7 August 2013|access-date=2 August 2021|archive-date=2 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210802205320/https://elpais.com/deportes/2013/08/07/actualidad/1375895041_910972.html|url-status=live}}]]

No solution had yet been found to address the massive debt Valencia was faced with, and rumors persisted that top talents such as David Villa, Juan Mata, and David Silva could leave the club to help balance the books. In the first season of the new decade, Valencia returned to the Champions League for the first time since the 2007–08 campaign, as they finished comfortably in third place in the 2009–10 La Liga standings. However, in the summer of 2010, due to financial reasons, David Villa and David Silva were sold to Barcelona and Manchester City, respectively, to reduce the club's massive debt. Despite the loss of two of the club's most important players, the team was able to finish comfortably in third place again in the 2010–11 La Liga for the second season running, although they would be eliminated from the Champions League by German side Schalke 04 in the round of 16. In the summer of 2011, then-captain Juan Mata was sold to Chelsea to further help Valencia's precarious financial situation. It was announced by club president Manuel Llorente that the club's debt had been decreased and that the work on the new stadium would restart as soon as possible, sometime in 2012.

File:DeporValencia.jpg vs. Valencia CF.]]

During the 2012–13 season, Ernesto Valverde was announced as the new manager, but after failing to qualify for the Champions League, he stepped down and was replaced by Miroslav Đukić. On 5 July 2013, Amadeo Salvo was named as the new president of the club. Almost a month after Salvo was named president, on 1 August, Valencia sold star striker Roberto Soldado to English club Tottenham Hotspur for a reported fee of €30 million. Đukić was sacked six months into the 2013–14 season after just six wins in his first sixteen matches, Valencia's worst start to a season in fifteen years.{{cite news| url=http://www.espn.in/football/news/story/_/id/1653958/miroslav-djukic-dismissed-valencia-coach| work=ESPN| title=Djukic dismissed as Valencia coach| date=16 December 2013| access-date=13 August 2017| archive-date=13 August 2017| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170813144727/http://www.espn.in/football/news/story/_/id/1653958/miroslav-djukic-dismissed-valencia-coach| url-status=dead}} He was replaced by Juan Antonio Pizzi on 26 December 2013.{{cite news| url=http://www.espn.in/football/story/1662721/valencia-appoint-antonio-pizzi-as-new-head-coach| work=ESPN| title=Antonio Pizzi hired by Valencia| date=26 December 2013| access-date=13 August 2017| archive-date=13 August 2017| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170813144729/http://www.espn.in/football/story/1662721/valencia-appoint-antonio-pizzi-as-new-head-coach| url-status=dead}} Under Pizzi, Valencia reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa League, where they lost to eventual winners Sevilla on away goals, and finished eighth in La Liga despite a disastrous start to the season.{{cite news| url=https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/0215-0e8a8b70556a-6e4482208c10-1000--last-gasp-sevilla-snatch-final-berth-from-valencia/| work=UEFA| title=Last-gasp Sevilla snatch final berth from Valencia| date=1 May 2014| access-date=13 August 2017| archive-date=16 September 2017| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170916111537/http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/season=2014/matches/round=2000473/match=2012678/postmatch/report/| url-status=live}}{{cite news| url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-soccer-spain-valencia-coach-idUKKBN0F71RS20140702| work=UEFA| title=Valencia sack coach Pizzi, Nuno tipped to take over| date=2 July 2014| access-date=13 August 2017| archive-date=13 August 2017| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170813143734/http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-soccer-spain-valencia-coach-idUKKBN0F71RS20140702| url-status=dead}}

File:Peter Lim.jpg has owned Valencia since 2014]]

In May 2014, Singaporean businessman Peter Lim was designated by the Fundación Valencia CF as the buyer of 70.4% of the shares owned by the club's foundation.{{cite news|title=Peter Lim new owner of Valencia|url=http://www.goal.com/en-sg/news/3880/singapore/2014/05/17/4823889/peter-lim-new-owner-of-valencia|website=Goal.com|date=17 May 2014|access-date=18 May 2014|archive-date=22 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170822030012/http://www.goal.com/en-sg/news/3880/singapore/2014/05/17/4823889/peter-lim-new-owner-of-valencia|url-status=live}}{{cite news|title=Singapore businessman Peter Lim buys Valencia|url=http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/singapore-businessman-peter-lim-buys-valencia|newspaper=Today|date=17 May 2014|access-date=18 May 2014|archive-date=30 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170630161010/http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/singapore-businessman-peter-lim-buys-valencia|url-status=dead}} After months of negotiations between Lim and Bankia (the main creditor of the club), an agreement was reached in August 2014.{{cite news|title=Lim a signature away from Valencia takeover|url=http://www.marca.com/2014/08/14/en/football/spanish_football/1408050349.html|newspaper=Marca|access-date=17 August 2014|archive-date=16 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140816193355/http://www.marca.com/2014/08/14/en/football/spanish_football/1408050349.html|url-status=live}} Juan Antonio Pizzi was unexpectedly sacked as head coach and replaced by Nuno Espírito Santo on 2 July 2014.{{cite news| url=http://www.uefa.com/memberassociations/association=esp/news/newsid=2121595.html| work=The Daily Telegraph| title=Nuno takes up Valencia coaching reins| date=3 July 2014| access-date=13 August 2017| archive-date=16 September 2017| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170916111539/http://www.uefa.com/memberassociations/association=esp/news/newsid=2121595.html| url-status=dead}} Later, Salvo revealed in an interview that hiring Nuno was one of the conditions Lim had insisted on when buying the club. This raised eyebrows in the media because of Nuno's close relationship with the football agent Jorge Mendes, whose first-ever client was Nuno.{{cite news| url=http://www.nostresport.com/futbol/primera/item/38908-amadeo-salvo-si-no-viene-nuno-lim-no-hubiera-comprado-el-club/38908-amadeo-salvo-si-no-viene-nuno-lim-no-hubiera-comprado-el-club.html| title=Amadeo Salvo: "Si no viene Nuno, Lim no hubiera comprado el club"| date=10 February 2016}}{{Dead link|date=August 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/sep/22/-sp-jorge-mendes-agent-third-party-ownership-players| work=The Guardian| title=Valencia sack coach Pizzi, Nuno tipped to take over| date=22 September 2014| access-date=13 August 2017| archive-date=2 December 2016| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161202021432/https://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/sep/22/-sp-jorge-mendes-agent-third-party-ownership-players| url-status=live}} Lim and Mendes were also close friends and business partners.{{cite news| url=http://valenciacf.lasprovincias.es/noticias/2014-01-19/mendes-participan-fondo-compra-20140119.html| title=Lim y Mendes participan en un fondo que compra y vende jugadores| date=19 January 2014| access-date=13 August 2017| archive-date=14 August 2017| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170814023352/http://valenciacf.lasprovincias.es/noticias/2014-01-19/mendes-participan-fondo-compra-20140119.html| url-status=live}} Regardless, Nuno's first season was a successful one. Notable signings included Álvaro Negredo, André Gomes and Enzo Pérez, who had just won the Player of the Year in the Portuguese Primeira Liga.{{cite news| url=http://en.valenciacf.com/ver/37002/official-vcf-announcement---alvaro-negredo.html| work=Valencia CF| title=Official VCF Announcement – Álvaro Negredo| date=2 September 2014| access-date=13 August 2017| archive-date=30 May 2019| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190530065359/http://en.valenciacf.com/ver/37002/official-vcf-announcement---alvaro-negredo.html| url-status=live}}{{cite web |url=http://www.valenciacf.com/ver/39696/presentacion-oficial-de-enzo-perez-como-nuevo-jugador-del-valencia-cf.html |title=Presentación oficial de Enzo Pérez como nuevo jugador del Valencia CF |language=es |trans-title=Official presentation of Enzo Pérez as new player of Valencia CF |date=2 January 2015 |publisher=Valencia CF |access-date=3 January 2015 |archive-date=3 January 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150103015222/http://www.valenciacf.com/ver/39696/presentacion-oficial-de-enzo-perez-como-nuevo-jugador-del-valencia-cf.html |url-status=dead }}{{cite news|url=http://www.record.xl.pt/Futebol/Internacional/espanha/interior.aspx?content_id=895137|title=Valencia regista André Gomes como emprestado pelo Benfica|trans-title=Valencia register André Gomes as loaned by Benfica|newspaper=Record|language=pt|date=17 July 2014|access-date=19 July 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140720002942/http://www.record.xl.pt/Futebol/Internacional/espanha/interior.aspx?content_id=895137|archive-date=20 July 2014}} Valencia finished the 2014–15 season in fourth place, achieving Champions League qualification with 77 points, just one point ahead of Sevilla after a dramatic final week where they defeated Granada 4–0.{{cite news| url=http://www.eurosport.com/football/valencia-climb-back-above-sevilla-in-battle-for-fourth_sto4696279/story.shtml| work=Eurosport| title=Valencia climb back above Sevilla in battle for fourth| date=27 April 2015| access-date=13 August 2017| archive-date=17 April 2024| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240417124949/https://www.eurosport.com/geoblocking.shtml| url-status=live}}

On 2 July 2015, Amadeo Salvo resigned from his post as the executive president of Valencia, citing personal reasons. He was a popular figure among the fans.{{cite news |title=Nani: Valencia sign former Man Utd winger on three-year deal |url=http://www.espn.in/football/valencia/story/2511048/valencia-president-salvo-resigns-five-members-of-staff-exit |date=5 July 2016 |access-date=5 July 2016 |archive-date=13 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170813145019/http://www.espn.in/football/valencia/story/2511048/valencia-president-salvo-resigns-five-members-of-staff-exit |url-status=live }}{{cite news |title=Valencia president Salvo resigns as five members of staff depart}} On 10 August 2015, Nicolás Otamendi was sold to Manchester City for £32 million and Aymen Abdennour was signed from Monaco for £22 million as his replacement.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/34002463|title=Nicolas Otamendi: Manchester City sign £32m Argentina defender|work=BBC Sport|date=20 August 2015|access-date=20 August 2015|archive-date=21 August 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150821005300/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/34002463|url-status=live}}{{cite web| url = https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/34102819| title = Valencia sign Aymen Abdennour from Monaco| website = BBC| date = 29 August 2015| access-date = 30 August 2015| archive-date = 13 August 2017| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170813194913/http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/34102819| url-status = live}} Valencia defeated Monaco in the Champions League play-off round with a 4–3 aggregate victory.{{cite news| url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/34059291| work=Eurosport| title=Valencia become fifth Spanish team in Champions League| date=26 August 2015| access-date=15 February 2018| archive-date=27 March 2018| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180327220330/https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/34059291| url-status=live}} However, Valencia had a poor start to the 2015–16 league season, winning only five out of thirteen matches and failing to progress from the Champions League group stage. The fans were also increasingly concerned about the growing influence of Jorge Mendes in the club's activities.{{cite news| url=http://sport360.com/article/european/44959/inside-story-how-jorge-mendes-pulls-all-strings-valencia| work=Sport 360| title=How Jorge Mendes pulls Los Che strings| date=10 November 2015| access-date=13 August 2017| archive-date=20 August 2017| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170820103440/http://sport360.com/article/european/44959/inside-story-how-jorge-mendes-pulls-all-strings-valencia| url-status=live}} On 29 November, Nuno resigned as manager and former Manchester United defender Gary Neville was hired as his replacement on 2 December.{{cite news| url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/34960282| work=BBC| title=Valencia: Nuno Espirito Santo resigns as coach at Spanish club| date=29 November 2015| access-date=15 February 2018| archive-date=13 August 2017| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170813201938/http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/34960282| url-status=live}}{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/dec/02/gary-neville-coach-valencia-england| work=The Guardian| title=Gary Neville appointed Valencia head coach until end of season| date=2 December 2015| access-date=13 August 2017| archive-date=13 August 2017| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170813151742/https://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/dec/02/gary-neville-coach-valencia-england| url-status=live}} Valencia went winless for nine matches before earning their first win under Neville in a 2–1 victory at home against Espanyol.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/35521450|title=Valencia 2–1 Espanyol|work=BBC Sport|date=13 February 2016|access-date=14 February 2016|archive-date=14 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160214012112/http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/35521450|url-status=live}} On 30 March 2016, Neville was sacked after recording the lowest win percentage in La Liga history for a Valencia manager with minimum of five matches, winning just three out of sixteen games. He was replaced by Pako Ayestarán, who had been brought in by Neville as the assistant coach just one month prior.{{cite news| url=http://www.goal.com/en/news/13452/opta/2016/03/30/21851192/gary-nevilles-terrible-record-at-valencia-in-full-but-he| work=Goal| title=Gary Neville's terrible record at Valencia in full| date=30 March 2016| access-date=13 August 2017| archive-date=29 August 2017| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170829220722/http://www.goal.com/en/news/13452/opta/2016/03/30/21851192/gary-nevilles-terrible-record-at-valencia-in-full-but-he| url-status=live}}{{cite news| url=http://www.espn.in/football/valencia/story/2840140/gary-neville-sacked-by-valencia-after-less-than-4-months| work=ESPN| title=Gary Neville sacked by Valencia after failing to turn fortunes around| date=30 March 2016| access-date=13 August 2017| archive-date=13 August 2017| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170813145900/http://www.espn.in/football/valencia/story/2840140/gary-neville-sacked-by-valencia-after-less-than-4-months| url-status=live}} Valencia finished the season in twelfth place.

In the summer of 2016, André Gomes and Paco Alcácer were both sold to Barcelona and Shkodran Mustafi was sold to Arsenal, while Ezequiel Garay and former Manchester United player Nani were brought in.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/36862314|title=Andre Gomes: Barcelona agree deal to sign Valencia midfielder|work=BBC Sport|date=21 July 2016|access-date=21 July 2016|archive-date=16 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230316234918/https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/36862314|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.fcbarcelona.com/football/first-team/news/2016-2017/paco-alcacer-signs-for-fc-barcelona|title=Paco Alcácer signs for FC Barcelona|publisher=FC Barcelona|date=30 August 2016|access-date=30 August 2016|archive-date=30 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160830202006/https://www.fcbarcelona.com/football/first-team/news/2016-2017/paco-alcacer-signs-for-fc-barcelona|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=http://en.valenciacf.com/ver/60598/vcf-official-statement--ezequiel-garay.html|title=VCF official statement {{!}} Ezequiel Garay|publisher=Valencia CF|date=31 August 2016|access-date=31 August 2016|archive-date=10 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160910135228/http://en.valenciacf.com/ver/60598/vcf-official-statement--ezequiel-garay.html|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20160830/shkodran-mustafi-signs-for-arsenal|title=Shkodran Mustafi signs for Arsenal|publisher=Arsenal's official website|access-date=31 August 2016|archive-date=1 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160901145727/http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20160830/shkodran-mustafi-signs-for-arsenal|url-status=live}}{{cite news |title=Nani: Valencia sign former Man Utd winger on three-year deal |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36715258 |publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation |date=5 July 2016 |access-date=5 July 2016 |archive-date=8 July 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160708150930/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36715258 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |title=Nani: 'United contract could have been best moment of my life – but it turned into the worst' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/aug/17/nani-manchester-united-best-worst-moment-life |newspaper=The Guardian |date=17 August 2016 |access-date=17 August 2016 |archive-date=17 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160817200415/https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/aug/17/nani-manchester-united-best-worst-moment-life |url-status=live }} Pako Ayestarán was sacked on 21 September 2016 after four straight defeats at the beginning of the 2016–17 season. Former Italy national team head coach Cesare Prandelli was hired as his replacement on 28 September.{{cite web|url=http://en.as.com/en/2016/09/28/football/1475055500_557997.html|title=Struggling Valencia appoint Cesare Prandelli as new coach|date=28 September 2016|publisher=As.com|access-date=28 September 2016|archive-date=1 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161001214936/http://en.as.com/en/2016/09/28/football/1475055500_557997.html|url-status=dead}} However, he resigned after just three months on 30 December, claiming the club had made him false transfer promises.{{cite web|url=http://www.espn.in/football/valencia/story/3031989/cesare-prandelli-quit-valencia-over-broken-transfer-promises|title=Cesare Prandelli quit Valencia over broken transfer promises|publisher=ESPN|date=4 January 2017|access-date=13 August 2017|archive-date=13 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170813211556/http://www.espn.in/football/valencia/story/3031989/cesare-prandelli-quit-valencia-over-broken-transfer-promises|url-status=live}} Days later, on 7 January 2017, Valencia sporting director Jesús García Pitarch also resigned, saying he felt like he was being used as a shield for criticism by the club and that he could not defend something he no longer believed in.{{cite web|url=http://www.sport-english.com/en/news/laliga/valencias-garcia-pitarch-resigns--is-replaced-by-alexanko-5730274|title=Valencia's Garcia Pitarch resigns & is replaced by Alexanko|publisher=sport-english|date=7 January 2017|access-date=13 August 2017|archive-date=13 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170813181446/http://www.sport-english.com/en/news/laliga/valencias-garcia-pitarch-resigns--is-replaced-by-alexanko-5730274|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=http://www.europapress.es/deportes/futbol-00162/noticia-garcia-pitarch-me-he-sentido-paraguas-20170110215331.html|title=García Pitarch: "Me he sentido como un paraguas"|publisher=epdeportes.es|date=10 January 2017|access-date=13 August 2017|archive-date=13 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170813152330/http://www.europapress.es/deportes/futbol-00162/noticia-garcia-pitarch-me-he-sentido-paraguas-20170110215331.html|url-status=live}} Voro was named caretaker manager for the fifth time until the end of season, with Valencia in 17th position and in danger of relegation.{{cite news|url=http://www.laliga.es/en/news/voro-takes-valencia-helm-again-after-cesare-prandelli-resigns|title=Voro takes Valencia helm again after Cesare Prandelli resigns|publisher=La Liga|date=30 December 2016|access-date=4 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170104164432/http://www.laliga.es/en/news/voro-takes-valencia-helm-again-after-cesare-prandelli-resigns|archive-date=4 January 2017|url-status=dead}} However, results improved under Voro and he steered Valencia clear off relegation, ultimately finishing the season in 12th place.{{cite news|url=http://www.goal.com/en/news/voro-valencia-coach-laliga/1huuv106purj61dwdxadz8xsg7s|title=VORO CONFIRMS HE IS TO BE REPLACED AS VALENCIA COACH|date=6 May 2017}}{{Dead link|date=December 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} On 27 March, Mateu Alemany was named the new director general of Valencia.{{cite news|url=http://www.elmundo.es/deportes/futbol/2017/03/27/58d8eceb46163fa67b8b45db.html|title=DEPORTeS Mateu Alemany, nuevo director general del Valencia CF|publisher=elmundo.es|date=27 March 2017|access-date=13 August 2017|archive-date=13 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170813145519/http://www.elmundo.es/deportes/futbol/2017/03/27/58d8eceb46163fa67b8b45db.html|url-status=live}}

File:Valencia Club de Fútbol league performance 1929-present.svg

The club also announced club president Lay Hoon Chan had submitted her resignation and that she would be replaced by Anil Murthy.{{cite news|url=http://www.espn.in/football/valencia/story/3100755/layhoon-chan-to-step-down-as-president-of-valencia|title=Layhoon Chan to step down as president of Valencia|publisher=ESPN|date=10 April 2017|access-date=13 August 2017|archive-date=13 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170813153218/http://www.espn.in/football/valencia/story/3100755/layhoon-chan-to-step-down-as-president-of-valencia|url-status=live}} After rumors arose of Lim's attempts at selling the club, Murthy assured the fans and local media that Valencia was a long-term project for both him and Lim, and they would not consider selling the club.{{cite news|url=http://www.espn.in/football/valencia/story/3101248/owner-peter-lim-would-not-sell-valencia-for-one-billion-euros-anil-murthy|title=Owner Peter Lim 'would not sell Valencia for €1bn' – Anil Murthy|publisher=ESPN|date=11 April 2017|access-date=13 August 2017|archive-date=13 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170813225735/http://www.espn.in/football/valencia/story/3101248/owner-peter-lim-would-not-sell-valencia-for-one-billion-euros-anil-murthy|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=http://www.todayonline.com/sports/football/new-valencia-president-anil-murthy-vows-rebuild-team-future|title=New Valencia president Anil Murthy vows to rebuild club for years to come – Anil Murthy|date=3 July 2017|access-date=13 August 2017|archive-date=13 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170813225902/http://www.todayonline.com/sports/football/new-valencia-president-anil-murthy-vows-rebuild-team-future|url-status=live}} For the following season, former Villarreal coach Marcelino was named the new manager on 12 May.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/39893859|title=Valencia name Marcelino Garcia Toral as sixth boss in two years|publisher=todayonline|date=12 May 2017|access-date=15 February 2018|archive-date=19 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180619222816/https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/39893859|url-status=live}}

After a successful first season under Marcelino, the club secured fourth place in La Liga and a return to the Champions League. In Marcelino's second season, Valencia again finished fourth and also reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa League. On 25 May 2019, Valencia won the Copa del Rey, their first trophy since 2008, upsetting league winners Barcelona 2–1 in the final.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/may/25/barcelona-valencia-copa-del-rey-final-match-report|title=Valencia shock Barcelona in Copa del Rey final despite Messi's best efforts|date=25 May 2019|work=The Guardian|access-date=27 May 2019|archive-date=10 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190610090514/https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/may/25/barcelona-valencia-copa-del-rey-final-match-report|url-status=live}}

Both Marcelino and sporting director Mateu Alemany, who were credited as the architects of this success,{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=10 July 2020|title=Lim's fortune rescued Valencia, but his missteps and assertion of authority is tearing them apart|url=https://global.espn.com/football/valencia/story/4130690/lims-fortune-rescued-valencia-but-his-missteps-and-assertion-of-authority-is-tearing-them-apart|access-date=5 February 2021|website=ESPN|archive-date=13 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210213044828/https://global.espn.com/football/valencia/story/4130690/lims-fortune-rescued-valencia-but-his-missteps-and-assertion-of-authority-is-tearing-them-apart|url-status=live}} were fired on 11 September 2019 after the former publicly criticized Lim. He was replaced by the ultimately unsuccessful Albert Celades, who was sacked due to poor results, while sporting director César Sánchez resigned that same season, making it six different managers and another six sporting directors by 2020.{{Cite web|date=30 June 2020|title=Chaos reigns at Valencia as coach is sacked, sporting director quits|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/football/chaos-reigns-at-valencia-as-coach-is-sacked-sporting-director-quits-6482835/|access-date=5 February 2021|website=The Indian Express|archive-date=13 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210213034217/https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/football/chaos-reigns-at-valencia-as-coach-is-sacked-sporting-director-quits-6482835/|url-status=live}}

For the 2020–21 season, manager Javi Gracia was hired. He was put in charge of a team full of prospects and reserves after the club failed to sign any players during the summer transfer window,{{Cite news|date=8 October 2020|title=Valencia coach Gracia staying after offering resignation|language=|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/soccer-spain-vcf-idINKBN26T34W|access-date=5 February 2021|archive-date=31 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220131225422/https://www.reuters.com/article/soccer-spain-vcf-idINKBN26T34W|url-status=live}} but sold key players such as captain Dani Parejo.{{Cite web|date=12 August 2020|title=Pressure on Peter Lim as Valencia sell Coquelin and Parejo to Villarreal|url=http://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/aug/12/pressure-grows-on-valencias-peter-lim-as-francis-coquelin-is-sold-to-villarreal|access-date=5 February 2021|website=The Guardian|archive-date=4 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210204175733/https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/aug/12/pressure-grows-on-valencias-peter-lim-as-francis-coquelin-is-sold-to-villarreal|url-status=live}} Local wonderkid Ferran Torres was also sold to Manchester City for a price deemed half his market value. Overall, Valencia sold players worth 85 million euros in order to rebalance the club's books.{{Cite news|last=Panja|first=Tariq|date=5 February 2021|title=They Hailed the New Owner as a Savior. Then They Got to Know Him.|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/05/sports/soccer/valencia-peter-lim.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211228/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/05/sports/soccer/valencia-peter-lim.html |archive-date=28 December 2021 |url-access=limited|access-date=5 February 2021|issn=0362-4331}}{{cbignore}} At the beginning of the season, the club was unable to pay the salaries to the remaining players.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=17 August 2020|title=Valencia, unable to pay players' wages, offer promissory notes|url=https://en.as.com/en/2020/08/17/football/1597674670_133738.html|access-date=5 February 2021|website=AS|language=en|archive-date=23 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210123122346/https://en.as.com/en/2020/08/17/football/1597674670_133738.html|url-status=dead}} After six seasons under Peter Lim's ownership, Valencia had accumulated losses of 323 million euros,{{Cite web|date=11 December 2020|title=Peter Lim, dueño y prestamista del Valencia|url=https://www.elmundo.es/deportes/futbol/2020/12/11/5fd3bc9afdddff0c5d8b4647.html|access-date=5 February 2021|website=El Mundo|language=es|archive-date=13 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210213034217/https://www.elmundo.es/deportes/futbol/2020/12/11/5fd3bc9afdddff0c5d8b4647.html|url-status=live}} In the following years, the playing squad was cut significantly in terms of quality and Lim's ownership has faced strong criticism in Valencia.{{Cite news|last=Corrigan|first=Dermot|title='He had everything. And he destroyed it': Peter Lim's six years at Valencia|url=https://theathletic.com/2186851/2020/11/16/valencia-la-liga-peter-lim/|access-date=5 February 2021|website=The Athletic|archive-date=13 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210213044828/https://theathletic.com/2186851/2020/11/16/valencia-la-liga-peter-lim/|url-status=live}}

In the 2021–22 season, José Bordalás was hired as head coach, following his five-season tenure with Getafe.{{cite web|title=Valencia Club de Fútbol|url=https://www.valenciacf.com/en/article/en-official-statement-jose-bordalas-2021-05-27|access-date=26 October 2021|publisher=Valencia CF|archive-date=26 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211026024338/https://www.valenciacf.com/en/article/en-official-statement-jose-bordalas-2021-05-27|url-status=live}} Valencia reached the Copa del Rey final final in Bordalás' first season in charge, but lost to Real Betis on penalties following a 1–1 draw.

In June 2022, Anil Murthy left after reportedly insulting the club's owner. Peter Lim's sons became club directors and Lay Hoon Chan returned as the club President.{{Cite news |last=Kwek |first=Kimberly |date=2022-08-20 |title=Football: Chan Lay Hoon appointed Valencia president again, replaces Anil Murthy |url=https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/football/football-chan-lay-hoon-appointed-valencia-president-again-replaces-anil-murthy |access-date=2024-04-09 |work=The Straits Times |language=en |issn=0585-3923 |archive-date=9 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240409201841/https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/football/football-chan-lay-hoon-appointed-valencia-president-again-replaces-anil-murthy |url-status=live }}

File:Mestallapanoramic4.jpg

Valencia played its first years at the Algirós stadium, but moved to the Mestalla in 1923. In the 1950s, the Mestalla was restructured, which resulted in a capacity increase to 45,000 spectators. Today it holds 49,430 seats, making it the fifth largest stadium in Spain. It is also renowned for its steep terracing and for being one of the most intimidating atmospheres in Europe.Toby Davis, "[http://83.245.38.235/Templates/News/NewsArticle.aspx?id=38622&epslanguage=EN XI at 11: Great European Grounds]{{Dead link|date=July 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}", Setanta Sports, 23 April 2008. {{in lang|en}}

File:Mestalla trofeu taronja 120811.jpg at the Mestalla in 2011]]

On 20 May 1923, the Mestalla pitch was inaugurated with a friendly match between Valencia and Levante UD.

A long history has taken place on the Mestalla field since its very beginning, when the Valencia team was not yet in the Primera División. Back then, this stadium could hold 17,000 spectators, and at that time, the club started to show its potential in regional championships, which led the managers of the time to carry out the first alterations of Mestalla in 1927. The stadium's total capacity increased to 25,000 before it became severely damaged during the Civil War; the Mestalla was used as a concentration camp and a junk warehouse. It would only keep its structure, since the rest was a lonely plot of land with no terraces and a stand broken during the war. Once the Valencian pitch was renovated, the Mestalla stadium in which the team managed to bring home their first title in 1941.

During the 1950s, the Valencia ground experienced the deepest change in its whole history. That project resulted in a stadium with a capacity of 45,500 spectators, that eventually saw destruction by a flood in October 1957 that arose from the overflowing of the Turia River. Nevertheless, the Mestalla not only returned to normality, but also some more improvements were added, like artificial light, which was inaugurated during the 1959 Fallas festivities.

During the 1960s, the stadium kept the same appearance, while the urban view around it was quickly being transformed. Moreover, the ground held its first European matches, with Nottingham Forest being the first foreign team to play at the Mestalla, on 15 September 1961.

From 1969, the expression "Anem a Mestalla" ("Let's go to the Mestalla"), so common among the supporters, began to fall into oblivion. The reason of this was due to a proposed name change of the stadium to honor Luis Casanova Giner, the club's most successful president. Giner admitted he was completely overwhelmed by such honour, but requested in 1994 that the original name of Mestalla remained.

In 1972, the head office of the club, located in the back of the numbered terraces, was inaugurated. It consisted of an office of avant-garde style with a trophy hall, which held the founding flag of the club. In the summer of 1973, more goal seats, which meant the elimination of fourteen rows of standing terraces, were added to provide comfort. Club management also considered the possibility of moving the Mestalla from its present location, to land on the outskirts of the town, before deciding against it.

Mestalla also hosted the Spain national football team for the first time in 1925. It was chosen as the national team's group venue when Spain staged the 1982 FIFA World Cup,{{Cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tables/82full.html|title=World Cup 1982 finals|website=RSSSF|access-date=2 February 2023|archive-date=1 July 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160701154256/http://www.rsssf.com/tables/82full.html|url-status=live}} and at the 1992 Summer Olympics held in Barcelona. All of Spain's matches up to the final were held at Mestalla, as they won Gold.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tableso/ol1992f-det.html|title=Football Tournament 1992 Olympiad|website=RSSSF|access-date=2 February 2023|archive-date=15 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230415034321/https://www.rsssf.org/tableso/ol1992f-det.html|url-status=live}} Mestalla has been the setting for important international matches, has held several Cup finals, and has also been the home of Levante. The ground also provided a temporary home for Castellón and Real Madrid for European games due to stadium development.

File:Maqueta Nuevo Mestalla.jpg|227x227px]]

The 2008–09 season was due to be the last season at the Mestalla, with the club intending to move to their new 75,000-seater stadium Nou Mestalla in time for the 2009–10 season. However, due to the club being in financial crisis, work on the new stadium has been heavily delayed.{{Cite web|url=http://www.worldsoccer.com/news/Valencias_financial_crisis_prompts_fire_sale_news_279976.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090408151928/http://www.worldsoccer.com/news/Valencias_financial_crisis_prompts_fire_sale_news_279976.html|url-status=dead|title=World Soccer 5 April 2009|archive-date=8 April 2009}} On 10 January 2025, it was reported that construction for Nou Mestalla has resumed and is set to be completed prior to the 2027–28 season.{{Cite web |title=Valencia CF to resume Nou Mestalla construction, targeting 2027 move |url=https://www.laliga.com/en-MX/news/valencia-cf-to-resume-nou-mestalla-construction-targeting-2027-move |access-date=2025-01-14 |website=Página web oficial de LALIGA {{!}} LALIGA |language=en}}

{{Commons|Valencia CF kits}}

Originally, Valencia's kit was composed of white shirts, black shorts and socks of the same colour. Through the years, however, these colours have alternated between white and black. The away kit has been shades of orange in recent years while third alternate kits have featured colors from the club crest—yellow, blood orange and blue.

The team have also attracted smaller, local sponsors over the years. One example is Lamiplast, a Valencia-based furniture company.

To celebrate the club's 75th anniversary the then president Arturo Tuzón commissioned Pablo Sánchez Torella to compose an anthem for the club. This was a pasodoble whose lyrics were later written by Ramón Gimeno Gil in the Valencian language. The anthem had its official presentation on the anniversary of the club on 21 September 1993.

File:Escut de València.svg

Valencia and the Balearic Islands were conquered by King James I of Aragon during the first half of the 13th century. After the conquest, the King gave them the status of independent kingdoms of whom he was also the king (but they were independent of Aragonese laws and institutions). The arms of Valencia show those of James I.

The unique crowned letters "L" besides the shield were granted by Peter IV. The reason for the letters was that the city had been loyal twice to the King, hence twice a letter "L" and a crown for the king.

There are several possible explanations for the bat; one is that bats are simply quite common in the area. The second theory is that on 9 October 1238, when James I was about to enter the city, re-conquering it from the Moors, a bat landed on the top of his flag, which he interpreted as a good omen. Following his victory, the bat were then added to the coat of arms.

In May 2013, it was reported that DC Comics had started a legal case against the club, claiming that the new bat image design was too similar to Batman.{{cite news|last1=Keegan|first1=Mike|title=Holy Trademark! Batman creators DC take on Valencia over logo|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/30143924|work=BBC Sport|access-date=21 November 2014|date=21 November 2014|archive-date=21 November 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141121171927/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/30143924|url-status=live}} The club issued a statement clarifying that it had intended to use a revised version of its bat logo for a line of casual clothing and applied for permission from the Office of Harmonisation of the Internal Market but the application was dropped after DC Comics filed an objection, not a lawsuit.{{cite news|title=Club Statement — DC Comics|url=http://en.valenciacf.com/ver/39273/club-statement--dc-comics.html|publisher=Valencia CF|date=25 November 2014|access-date=25 May 2017|archive-date=30 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170630174649/http://en.valenciacf.com/ver/39273/club-statement--dc-comics.html|url-status=live}} DC Comics again filed a complaint with the EU's office of IP opposing the trademark application made by Valencia for its centennial logo, claiming there is likely to be confusion with its Batman’s symbol.{{Cite web|url=https://apnews.com/e2ac81becacb45bc89067fce38ca68ed|title=Valencia again targeted by Batman creators for bat logo|last=Azzoni|first=Tales|date=21 March 2019|website=AP NEWS|access-date=18 April 2019|archive-date=18 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190418225423/https://apnews.com/e2ac81becacb45bc89067fce38ca68ed|url-status=live}}

{{See also|List of Valencia CF players}}

{{updated|4 February 2025}}{{cite news|title=Equipo|url=https://www.valenciacf.com/plantilla-primer-equipo|publisher=Valencia CF|access-date=11 August 2022}}

{{Fs start}}

{{Fs player|no=1|nat=ESP|pos=GK|name=Jaume Doménech}}

{{Fs player|no=2|nat=POR|pos=DF|name=Thierry Correia}}

{{Fs player|no=3|nat=ESP|pos=DF|name=Cristhian Mosquera}}

{{Fs player|no=4|nat=GIN|pos=DF|name=Mouctar Diakhaby|other=4th captain}}

{{Fs player|no=5|nat=ARG|pos=MF|name=Enzo Barrenechea|other=on loan from Aston Villa}}

{{Fs player|no=6|nat=ESP|pos=DF|name=Hugo Guillamón}}

{{Fs player|no=7|nat=ESP|pos=MF|name=Sergi Canós}}

{{Fs player|no=8|nat=ESP|pos=MF|name=Javi Guerra}}

{{Fs player|no=9|nat=ESP|pos=FW|name=Hugo Duro}}

{{Fs player|no=10|nat=POR|pos=MF|name=André Almeida}}

{{Fs player|no=11|nat=ESP|pos=FW|name=Rafa Mir|other=on loan from Sevilla}}

{{Fs player|no=12|nat=NGR|pos=FW|name=Umar Sadiq|other=on loan from Real Sociedad}}

{{Fs player|no=13|nat=MKD|pos=GK|name=Stole Dimitrievski}}

{{Fs mid}}

{{Fs player|no=14|nat=ESP|pos=DF|name=José Gayà|other=captain}}

{{Fs player|no=15|nat=ESP|pos=DF|name=César Tárrega}}

{{Fs player|no=16|nat=ESP|pos=FW|name=Diego López}}

{{Fs player|no=17|nat=ESP|pos=MF|name=Iván Jaime|other=on loan from Porto}}

{{Fs player|no=18|nat=ESP|pos=MF|name=Pepelu|other=3rd captain}}

{{Fs player|no=19|nat=ENG|pos=DF|name=Max Aarons|other=on loan from AFC Bournemouth}}

{{Fs player|no=20|nat=GLP|pos=DF|name=Dimitri Foulquier|other=vice-captain}}

{{Fs player|no=21|nat=ESP|pos=DF|name=Jesús Vázquez}}

{{Fs player|no=22|nat=ESP|pos=FW|name=Luis Rioja}}

{{Fs player|no=23|nat=ESP|pos=MF|name=Fran Pérez}}

{{Fs player|no=24|nat=ESP|pos=DF|name=Yarek Gasiorowski}}

{{Fs player|no=25|nat=GEO|pos=GK|name=Giorgi Mamardashvili}}

{{Fs end}}

{{Main|Valencia CF Mestalla}}

{{Fs start}}

{{Fs player|no=27|nat=ESP|pos=MF|name=David Otorbi}}

{{Fs player|no=29|nat=ESP|pos=DF|name=Álex Serradell}}

{{Fs player|no=31|nat=ESP|pos=DF|name=Rubén Iranzo}}

{{Fs player|no=32|nat=ESP|pos=MF|name=Martín Tejón}}

{{fs player|no=34|nat=ESP|pos=GK|name=Raúl Jiménez}}

{{Fs player|no=35|nat=ESP|pos=GK|name=Vicent Abril}}

{{Fs player|no=38|nat=ESP|pos=DF|name=Iker Córdoba}}

{{Fs mid}}

{{Fs player|no=39|nat=ESP|pos=DF|name=Ro Abajas}}

{{Fs player|no=40|nat=ESP|pos=MF|name=Hamza Bellari}}

{{Fs player|no=42|nat=CRC|pos=FW|name=Warren Madrigal|other=on loan from Saprissa}}

{{Fs player|no=44|nat=ESP|pos=DF|name=Ismael Santana}}

{{Fs player|no=45|nat=ESP|pos=MF|name=Pablo López}}

{{Fs player|no=46|nat=ESP|pos=MF|name=Pedro Alemañ}}

{{Fs player|no=47|nat=ESP|pos=MF|name=Lucas Núñez}}

{{Fs end}}

{{Fs start}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=ESP|pos=GK|name=Cristian Rivero|other=at Albacete until 30 June 2025}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=SUI|pos=DF|name=Eray Cömert|other=at Valladolid until 30 June 2025}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=TUR|pos=DF|name=Cenk Özkacar|other=at Valladolid until 30 June 2025}}

{{Fs mid}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=ESP|pos=FW|name=Hugo González|other=at Celta Fortuna until 30 June 2025}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=ESP|pos=FW|name=Alberto Marí|other=at Zaragoza until 30 June 2025}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=ESP|pos=FW|name=Germán Valera|other=at Elche until 30 June 2025}}

{{Fs end}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

! colspan=18 | Current technical staff

|-

|-

! Position

! Staff

|-

|Technical director ||style="text-align:left;"| {{flagicon|ESP}} Miguel Ángel Corona

|-

|Head coach ||style="text-align:left;"| {{flagicon|ESP}} Carlos Corberán

|-

|Assistant head coach ||style="text-align:left;"| {{flagicon|ESP}} Jorge Alarcón
{{flagicon|ESP}} Josep Alcácer
{{flagicon|ENG}} Martin Drury

|-

|Field assistant coach ||style="text-align:left;"| {{flagicon|ESP}} Ángel de las Heras

|-

|Goalkeeping coach ||style="text-align:left;"| {{flagicon|ESP}} Marcos Abad
{{flagicon|ESP}} José Manuel Ochotorena

|-

|Team Manager ||style="text-align:left;"| {{flagicon|ESP}} Voro

|-

|Fitness coach ||style="text-align:left;"| {{flagicon|ESP}} Juan Monar
{{flagicon|ESP}} Rafael Aranda

|-

|Analyst ||style="text-align:left;"| {{flagicon|ESP}} Fran Lapiedra

|-

|Assistant fitness coach ||style="text-align:left;"| {{flagicon|ESP}} Sergi Benet

|-

|Assistant goalkeeping coach ||style="text-align:left;"| {{flagicon|ESP}} Andoni Ochotorena

|-

|Chief of medical services ||style="text-align:left;"| {{flagicon|ESP}} Pedro López

|-

|Delegate ||style="text-align:left;"| {{flagicon|ESP}} David Rangel

|-

|Chief of kit man ||style="text-align:left;"| {{flagicon|ESP}} Chemanu López

|-

{{Fb cs footer|u=28 December 2024|s=[https://www.valenciacf.com/cuerpo-tecnico-valenciacf Valencia CF]|date=28 December 2024}}

{{Main|List of Valencia CF managers}}

{{Refbegin}}

LL. = La Liga; CdR = Copa del Rey; SC = Supercopa de España; UCL = UEFA Champions League; UCWC = UEFA Cup Winners' Cup; UEL = UEFA Europa League; UIC = UEFA Intertoto Cup; USC = UEFA Super Cup

{{Refend}}

File:Alejandro-scopelli.jpg|Alejandro Scopelli, the first foreigner to win a trophy with Valencia, the 1962 Fairs Cup.

File:Distefano eg 1958.jpg|Alfredo Di Stéfano had three successful spells as coach of the club.

File:Claudio Ranieri.jpg|Claudio Ranieri coached Valencia on two occasions with mixed success.

File:Cuper Hector.jpg|Héctor Cúper tenure saw the club rise back to prominence in European football.

File:Rafael Benítez.jpg|Rafael Benítez, Valencia's most successful coach, with two league titles and one UEFA Cup over the period of three years

|width="30"| 

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|}

{{Main|List of Valencia CF records and statistics}}

File:AmedeoCarboni.jpg Amedeo Carboni, the foreigner with the most appearances (350)]]

File:Gonçalo Guedes (cropped).jpg is the most expensive signing in Valencia's history, costing €40m in 2018.]]

File:Mendieta_95-96.jpg to Lazio for €48 million in 2001.]]

{{main|List of Valencia CF seasons}}

• 90 seasons in La Liga
• 4 seasons in Segunda División

{{Main|List of Valencia CF records and statistics}}

• IFFHS The World's Club Team of the Year: 2004

{{Main|Valencia CF in European football}}

Since May 2009, Valencia CF has had a training centre, this is the first multidisciplinary training center for a football club in Spain.{{Cite web|url=http://www.valenciacf.com/contenidos/Actualidad/Noticias/2009/05/Noticia_18482.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120119221428/http://www.valenciacf.com/contenidos/Actualidad/Noticias/2009/05/Noticia_18482.html|url-status=dead |title=Valencia Club de Fútbol|archive-date=19 January 2012|website=www.valenciacf.com}}

The Training Centre Foundation Valencia CF "The Academy" offers university education,{{Cite web|url=http://nostresport.com/index.php?id=16461|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111217085035/http://www.nostresport.com/gestiondeportiva/Gestiondeportiva/muestraNoticia.html?id=16461|url-status=dead|title=Nostresport - Todo el deporte de Alicante, Castellón, Valencia|archive-date=17 December 2011|website=nostresport.com}} classroom training, and online training related to sport and football (soccer).{{Cite web|url=https://www.levante-emv.com/deportes/2010/10/14/the-academy-entrena-on-line/747381.html|title=The Academy te entrena on line|website=www.levante-emv.com|date=14 October 2010|access-date=29 December 2019|archive-date=29 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191229052654/https://www.levante-emv.com/deportes/2010/10/14/the-academy-entrena-on-line/747381.html|url-status=live}}

Valencia CF is one of the few clubs in Spain that organises a Sport Management MBA, the MBA in International Sport Management, currently performs with Valencia Catholic University Saint Vincent Martyr.{{Cite web|url=http://www.archivalencia.org/contenido.php?a=6&pad=6&modulo=37&id=5531|title=Archidiocesis de Valencia|website=www.archivalencia.org|access-date=12 April 2012|archive-date=3 June 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130603085653/http://www.archivalencia.org/contenido.php?a=6&pad=6&modulo=37&id=5531|url-status=dead}}

On the 90th anniversary of Valencia CF, the academy opened with the University of Valencia the first university course that studied the history of a football club, Valencia CF is the first football club in Spain to be an object of study in college.{{Cite web|url=http://es.uefa.com/memberassociations/association=esp/news/newsid=918760.html|title=Federaciones miembro - España - Noticias|date=10 November 2009|website=UEFA|access-date=12 April 2012|archive-date=19 January 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120119102007/http://es.uefa.com/memberassociations/association=esp/news/newsid=918760.html|url-status=dead}}

File:Valencia CF - Español 2012 ^32 - Flickr - Víctor Gutiérrez Navarro.jpg

Valencia CF were also involved in motorsports such as Formula One, Super GT, MotoGP, Moto2, Moto3, 250cc and Formula Nippon. Valencia CF was an official partner of Panasonic Toyota Racing in 2003 until 2008 to commemorate Toyota as their shirt sponsor. Valencia CF also sponsored all Toyota-engined Formula Nippon teams and also Toyota Super GT teams in GT500 and GT300 cars. In 2009, Valencia CF became an official partner of former 250cc team Stop And Go Racing Team and in 2014 of Aspar Team in MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 classes, respectively.

In June 2016, Valencia opened an esports division with presences in Hearthstone, Rocket League and League of Legends – in the last case, they joined Beşiktaş, Santos, Schalke and PSG in acquiring League teams. They announced their League roster on 13 July, composed mostly of Spanish players, including some with European League of Legends Championship Series (EU LCS) experience.[http://www.valenciacf.com/ver/59462/el-valencia-cf-esports-presenta-su-equipo-de-league-of-legends.html El Valencia CF eSports presenta su equip de League of Legends (Spanish)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220201142051/https://www.valenciacf.com/ver/59462/el-valencia-cf-esports-presenta-su-equipo-de-league-of-legends.html |date=1 February 2022 }} Valencia CF

In November 2020, Valencia CF eSports launched a team on Arena of Valor in Thailand. The team consist of six Thai players, competing in the RoV Pro League competitions. They joined the local club Buriram United FC, and after that, French club Paris Saint-Germain FC in acquiring AoV teams.{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}

{{Portal bar|Association football|Spain}}

• Valencia CF Mestalla
• Orange Trophy
• Richest football clubs
• European football records
• List of UEFA club competition winners

• Valencia Club de Fútbol (1919–1969), Bodas de Oro {{in lang|es}}, de José Manuel Hernández Perpiñá. 1969, Talleres Tipográficos Vila, S.L.
• Historia del Valencia F.C. {{in lang|es}}, de Jaime Hernández Perpiñá. 1974, Ediciones Danae, S.A. {{oclc|2985617}}
• La Gran Historia del Valencia C.F. {{in lang|es}}, de Jaime Hernández Perpiñá. 1994, Levante-EMV. {{ISBN|84-87502-36-9}}
• DVD Valencia C.F. (Historia Temática). Un histórico en la Liga. {{in lang|es}}, 2003, Superdeporte. V-4342-2003

{{Reflist}}

{{commons category}}

• {{Official website|https://www.valenciacf.com/}} {{in lang|en|es}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20150617123419/http://www.laliga.es/en/liga-bbva/valencia Valencia CF] at La Liga {{in lang|en|es}}
• [https://www.uefa.com/nationalassociations/teams/52268--valencia/ Valencia CF] at UEFA {{in lang|en|es}}

{{Valencia CF}}

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