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Team
Overview
Stadium:
Estadio
Mestalla
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Honours:
European
CWC: 1980
UEFA
Cup: 1962,
1963
European
Super Cup: 1980
League Winners: 1942,
1944, 1947, 1971, 2002
Spanish League
Cup:
1980
Spanish
Super Cup: 1999
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Valencia
CF have long lived under the shadow of Spain's
big two, Real Madrid CF and Barcelona FC, but
recent years have seen the side emerge as one
of the strongest in Europe, as they proved by
reaching two consecutive UEFA Champions League
finals in 1999/2000 and 2000/01.
Unfortunately the southern Spanish team were beaten
both times but their determination to conquer
European football was reinforced in 2001/02 when,
in coach Rafael Benítez's first season in charge,
they won their fifth Spanish championship.
The club, which has boasted world-class players
such as Mario Alberto Kempes, Alfredo Di Stefano,
Romario, Santiago Cañizares and Gaizka Mendieta,
was founded in a bar in the city centre, playing
at the Algirós ground in the early years. As public
interest grew after they clinched their first
regional championship in 1922, they moved to the
Mestalla, which opened in May 1923.
were in the second division, although it took
just three years to win promotion to the top flight.
The club won their first Spanish Cup (six by 2002)
in 1941 and in 1942 their first league championship
(five by 2002).Two more titles were claimed in
1944 and 1947 but there were three consecutive
cup final losses between 1944 and 1946.
The 1950s saw the Metsalla redeveloped and Valencia
added three more Spanish Cups to their roll of
honour in 1949, 1954 and 1967. The 1960s also
brought maiden successes in Europe, the side winning
the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in both 1962 (against
FC Barcelona) and 1963 (against NK Dinamo Zagreb)
but had to wait until 1971 before they would again
become Spanish champions. After winning their
fifth Spanish Cup in 1979, there was further success
on the European stage with a defeat of Arsenal
FC on penalties to lift the UEFA Cup Winners'
Cup in 1980.
More success eluded Valencia for much of the next
20 years and it was only by winning the Spanish
Cup in 1999 that they again had a trophy to hold.
Hector Cúper's side then took off and in 1999/2000
in their first ever appearance in the UEFA Champions
League they reached the final, losing 3-0 to Real
Madrid. Further disappointment came 12 months
later with another loss in the final - to FC Bayern
München on penalties.
They bounced back from this to win the Spanish
title in 2002 and are amongst the strong favourites
in this seasons UEFA Champions League and domestic
competitions.
QUICK
FACT
The
Estadio Mestalla is locally known as the
Louis Casanova stadium. |
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