Mestalla Stadium

File:Inauguració Mestalla 1923.jpg

The Estadio Mestalla was inaugurated with a friendly match on 20 May 1923 between Valencia and Levante.{{Cite web|url=https://sites.google.com/site/vcfestadios/mestalla|title=mestalla - vcfestadios|access-date=2020-02-06}} The new stadium had a capacity of 17,000 spectators, which was increased to 25,000 four years later. During the Civil War, the Mestalla was used as a concentration camp and storage warehouse.{{Cite web|date=2018-11-24|title=La Liga Stadiums: Valencia's Mestalla Stadium – Beauty of the oldest stadium in Spanish first division|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/football/la-liga/valencia-mestella-stadium-la-liga-5460285/|access-date=2020-09-14|website=The Indian Express|language=en}} It would only keep its structure, since the rest was an empty plot of land with no terraces and a grandstand damaged during the war.

During the 1950s, the Mestalla was renovated, resulting in a stadium with a seating capacity of 60,000 spectators. It was severely damaged by the flood of October 1957 when the Turia River broke its banks. The stadium soon returned to operational use with some more improvements, such as the addition of artificial lighting, and was inaugurated during the 1959 Fallas festivities.

In 1969, the stadium's name was changed to Estadio Luis Casanova, to honour club president Luis Casanova Giner. The change lasted for a quarter of a century, when Casanova admitted that he was completely overwhelmed by such an honour and requested in 1994 that the stadium's name be returned to the Mestalla.{{Cite web|url=https://www.laliga.com/noticias/diez-cosas-que-quiza-no-sabias-de-mestalla|title=Diez cosas que quizá no sabías de Mestalla|website=Diez cosas que quizá no sabías de Mestalla|access-date=2020-02-06}}

1972 saw the inauguration of the club's head office, located in the back of the numbered terraces. It consisted of an office designed in the avant-garde style with a trophy hall, which held the flag the club was founded on. The summer of 1973 ushered in another change at the Mestalla, the introduction of goal seats, which meant the elimination of fourteen rows of standing room terraces.

A replacement stadium, the Nou Mestalla, started construction in 2007, but is yet to be completed due to the club's financial crisis.{{Cite web|url=https://eldesmarque.com/valencia/valencia-cf/185792-calendario-y-plazos-para-el-derribo-de-mestalla-y-el-traslado-al-nuevo-estadio|title=Calendario y plazos para el derribo de Mestalla y el traslado al Nuevo Estadio|website=eldesmarque.com|date=17 April 2019|access-date=2020-02-06}} The new stadium is due to have a capacity of 61,500.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sportspromedia.com/news/valencia-deloitte-new-mestalla-project|title=Valencia partner with Deloitte for revival of new Mestalla project - SportsPro Media|website=sportspromedia.com|date=23 May 2018 |access-date=2020-02-06}} On 10 January 2025, construction for the new stadium has resumed and is estimated for completion 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}}

The Mestalla held the Spain national football team for the first time in 1925. It was chosen the national team's group venue when Spain staged the 1982 World Cup,{{Cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tables/82full.html|title=World Cup 1982 finals|publisher=Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation|access-date=2020-02-06}} and at the 1992 Summer Olympics held in Barcelona, all of Spain's matches up to the final were held at the Mestalla, as they won Gold.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tableso/ol1992f-det.html|title=Football Tournament 1992 Olympiad|publisher=Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation|access-date=2020-02-06}}[http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1992/1992s2.pdf 1992 Summer Olympics official report.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080528011647/http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1992/1992s2.pdf |date=28 May 2008 }} Volume 2. pp. 334-6.

The Mestalla has been the setting for important international matches, has held nine cup finals, has also been a temporary home for Levante, home of the Spain national football team and exile for Castellón and Real Madrid in the European Cup. The Mestalla hosted four El Clásico finals in Copa del Rey between Barcelona and Real Madrid, with 1936, 1990, 2011 and 2014. In total, the stadium hosted ten Copa del Rey finals, with the first one played in 1926.{{Cite web|url=https://www.laliga.com/noticias/diez-cosas-que-quiza-no-sabias-de-mestalla|title=Diez cosas que quizá no sabías de Mestalla|website=Diez cosas que quizá no sabías de Mestalla|access-date=2020-02-17}}

The stadium was one of the venues of the 1982 FIFA World Cup (known as Luis Casanova Stadium at the time of the tournament), and held the following matches:

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Metro:

File:Metro aragó 4.jpg]]

File:CAMP DE MESTALLA 2014.jpg

Aragó station (Lines 5 and 7) Metrovalencia

Facultats-Manuel Broseta station (Lines 3 and 9) Metrovalencia

Bus lines:

Amadeo of Savoia street in: line 32.

Reyes Prosper street: line 71.

Avenida de Aragón: lines 10, 12, 80, 41 and 79

Avenida Blasco Ibáñez: lines 10, 29, 30, 31, 71, 79, 81, 89 and 90.

{{reflist}}

{{Commons category}}

• {{official website}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20080711084627/http://www.futuromestalla.com/ The new Mestalla]
• [https://espanaestadios.com/2018/07/31/valencia-mestalla/ Estadios de España] {{in lang|en}}

{{Valencia CF}}

{{La Liga venues}}

{{1982 FIFA World Cup stadiums}}

{{1992 Summer Olympic venues}}

{{UEFA Super Cup venues}}

{{Olympic venues football}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mestalla}}

Category:Valencia CF

Category:Football venues in Valencia

Category:Venues of the 1992 Summer Olympics

Category:Tourist attractions in Valencia

Category:Sports venues completed in 1923

Category:1923 establishments in Spain

Category:Buildings and structures in Valencia