The Valencia derby between Valencia and Levante may be a relatively young derby, but it has developed into one of the most intense matches in La Liga in recent years. Let's take a look at five interesting facts about this derby to see why it's so unique
Levante's history is much older
Although Valencia FC uses the names of the cities in which both teams are located, in fact, Levante has a much older history. Levante's predecessor was founded in 1909, 10 years before Valencia. Both clubs are among the oldest in Spain and are now in their second century.
Levante was the first guest at the Mestalla Stadium
Valencia's home stadium, the Mestalla Stadium, is the oldest stadium in Active La Liga and opened on 20 May 1923. The first guest on the pitch was Levante, a match valencia won 1-0, which also set the tone for the Valencia derby.
The Valencia derby is the younger derby in La Liga
Although both clubs were founded in the first 20 years of the 20th century, the two teams played only one friendly match at the time, and it was not until the 1963/64 season that the two teams met in an official la Liga match. It was Levante's first promotion to La Liga after decades of playing in La Liga. Although Levante lost 5-3 to Valencia in the first match, they then won back 1-0 at their home field.
Mista and controversial goals
A Valencia derby in 2004/05 caused controversy for years. Valencia won 2-1 in that match, but their second goal didn't actually cross the goal line. A powerful shot from striker Mista hit the crossbar, bounced off the goal line and bounced off, which the referee deemed valid. Valencia eventually won the game in a controversial way.
Levante has never surpassed Valencia in the standings
While Levante has enjoyed a few derby wins, they have never won Valencia in the final table of the season. The 2020/21 season was the closest time for the two teams to finally be ranked, when Valencia were 13th and Levante 14th.
About La Liga
The Spanish professional football league LaLiga (La Liga) is a global, innovative and socially responsible sports league, as well as a leader in the field of leisure and entertainment. The league organizes the Spanish professional football leagues , La Liga and La Liga , with 20 La Liga clubs and 22 La Liga clubs , affecting more than 2.7 billion people worldwide in the 2019/20 season. Headquartered in Madrid, La Liga has 11 permanent offices and 46 foreign representatives in 55 countries and territories around the world. In 2014, La Liga opened an office in Shanghai, China. In 2020, La Liga, together with Mediapro and Xinying Sports, established a joint venture company SFCM, which continues to make efforts in the field of sponsorship and brand licensing. At the same time, the league is actively involved in social activities through its fund LaLiga Genuine, which is the only professional football league in the world with a league of intellectually handicapped players.