Valencia 2

Valencia Valencia is Spain’s third football metropolis after Madrid and Barcelona. With a long, beach lined Med seafront, a party-centric young populace and worldrenowned contemporary attractions, Valencia is a Barcelona in miniature, an underrated destination for any discerning football traveller. The flagship club of the third city, Valencia CF are the only one in the last ten years to have broken the Real-Barça monopoly on the title – twice. Perenially third since then, and regular performers in the Champions League, Valencia CF (‘Los Che’) were pushed out from the headlines in 2011-12 by a surprisingly gutsy run from their unsung city rivals, Levante. Enjoying the best season in the club’s 100-year history, The ‘Granotes’ (‘Frogs’) deserve a rare crack at Europe in 2012-13. Both clubs are currently within a short taxi journey of each other, east and north-east of the city centre. Plans call for cash-strapped Valencia CF to move to a new stadium by 201415. In the meantime, the derby valenciana is a feisty fixture once more, after years of Levante floundering in the lower flights.

Bearings Valencia’s Aeropuerto de Manises is 8km (5 miles) west of the city centre, now on Zone B of the metro network and served by lines 3 and 5. Allow 15 mins (single €2) to town. A day pass in Zone A (T1), that covers both stadia, is €3.70. As the six-line metro network circumvents the city centre, there are buses too. Combined tickets and other passes are also available. A taxi (+34 96 374 0202) to town should cost around €15 plus €3.50 airport supplement.

Bed The tourist office at Plaza de la Reina 19 has an online booking service. For Las Fallas festival in mid-March, the whole town and surrounding area is booked up weeks in advance. If you’re arriving on spec, and just need a cheap room, there’s a booking office in the main railway station, Estacion del Norte, around which you’ll find most of the budget accommodation. The nearest hotel to the Mestalla is the Hostal Residencial Penalty, a smart onestar with €56 doubles most of the year, a convivial café and all five strides from the Valencia CF stadium. Also close are the five-star Westin Valencia and the four-star Hotel Puerta Valencia. In town, the Hotel Europa (C/Ribera 4, +34 96 352 0000) is a cheapish option.

Beer Arriving at the Estacion del Norte station, nearby Central Abbey (C/Roig De Corella 8) is a pub-like spot with TV football. Nightlife is concentrated in the Barrio del Carmen, or El Carme, a tangle of narrow streets in the old town, most notably Calle Caballeros. There, Abierto (C/Caballeros 42) s a terrace spot that offers Guinness. The north end of Calle Ribera is lined with bars and restaurants, including Baldo, with local specialities and the match broadcast

outside. El Cau d'el Rall is a sport-focused bar with restaurant alongside. By the Cathedral, George’s Corner is an expat-friendly pub downtown. In summer, the action moves down to the beach, Playa de la Malvarrosa, an easy journey on metro line 4 or 6 to Les Arenes. The landmark bar/nightclub here is Vivir Sin Dormir, open all year round. Another option is the San Patricio on the seafront. The origins of Spain’s third most successful club are shrouded in mystery. Formed by foreign residents and students in 1902, Valencia Club de Fútbol were reformed in 1919 by members of a social circle who met at the Bar Torino on Plaza del Ayuntamiento. Moving into the Mestalla stadium in 1923 and garnering silverware during the 1940s, Valencia were known as a high-scoring team with a devil-may-care attitude. With Brazilians Chicão and Waldo, Valencia won the Fairs’ Cup in 1962 and 1963. To achieve success in the league, Valencia had to abandon their attacking principles. Under Alfredo di Stéfano in 1971, a cautious, defensive unit pipped Barcelona to the title with a lower ‘goals against’ tally. The next great Valencia side were headed by 1978 World Cup hero Mario Kempes. Valencia won the Spanish Cup in 1979, then the Cup Winners’ Cup a year later, beating Arsenal on penalties. After another mediocre decade, the club were transformed when Paco Roig became president in the mid-1990s. Unveiling elaborate plans for expanding the Mestalla, and attracting top foreign stars, Roig lifted the club onto another level – at a price. Under coach Hector Cúper, fast Argentines such as Kily González and Claudio López complemented the home-grown talent of Gaizka Mendieta, backed by Santiago Cañizares in goal. Valencia made two consecutive Champions League finals, both defeats, in 2000 and 2001. A rock-solid defence helped Valencia win the Spanish title in 2002 and 2004, doubling up to take the UEFA Cup against Olympique Marseille. Severe financial difficulties and boardroom unrest then saw the club tread water, and shelve plans for a new stadium. Key players David Silva, David Villa and Juan Mata were sold off to balance the books. Los Che returned to their natural place in the pecking order: behind Real and Barça at home, and a tricky proposition in Europe.

Stadium A classic, city-centre football temple, the steep-sided Mestalla was inaugurated on May 20 1923 with a match between newly founded Valencia CF and local rivals Levante. Renovated after the now barren Turia river flooded in 1957, the Mestalla was expanded to something around its current capacity of 55,000 shortly before the club’s successful European campaigns of the early 1960s.

Set beside a pedestrianised square of classic pre-match bars, the Mestalla is due to be knocked down in 2013-14 to make way for the Nou Mestalla by Beniferri metro station.Valencia’s most passionate group of supporters, Los Yumos, occupy the Fondo Norte, the lower level of the Gol Xicotet. Opposite is the Gol Gran. Visiting fans are allocated a section through gate N16 near Torre A on the diagonally opposite corner to the bars on Plaza de Valencia CF.

Transport The Mestalla is close to Aragón metro station (green line 5) – follow the signs and you’ll see it through the palm trees. Bus No.10 runs from focal Plaza del Ayuntamiento.

Tickets The main ticket office stands at the corner of the stadium opposite the bars on Plaza de Valencia CF. Opening times are Mon-Fri 10am-2pm, 5pm-8pm, Sat 10am-2pm and from three hours before kick-off. Tickets are also sold at the club shops, one on Plaza de Valencia CF and one in town at Pintor Sorolla 25. See www.valenciacf.com/es/Taquilla/ for details. Prices are around €40-€45 behind Gol Gran or Gol Xicotet, €50 for the Grada Central and €65-€90 for the Tribuna Central, the best seats in the house. Note that Alto (‘High’) seats behind either goal will be very Alto indeed.

Club shops The Templo del Fútbol main store (Mon-Sat 9.30am-2pm, 5pm-8pm and 3hrs before kick-off) is on Plaza de Valencia CF opposite the row of bars. A two-floor blaze of white, red and yellow merchandising, it’s complemented by the one downtown by the main Corte Inglés department store at Pintor Sorolla 25. See www.vcfshop.com for details.

Tour The 45-minute stadium tour (€7) takes place daily, hourly 10am-1pm and also Mon-Fri 5pm-7pm. English-speaking visitors must leave a deposit for the audio-guide. Tickets are sold at the club shop on Plaza de Valencia CF, the setting-off point.

Bars Beside Aragón metro station, el donjuán is a chain of sleek barrestaurants. The real deal is the row of three bars on Plaza de Valencia CF, at the corner of Aviguda de Suécia five minutes’ walk away. First, Bar Cervecería La Deportiva displays classic Valencia teams through the ages (note the Keita-Catafau-Johnny Rep trio and a celebrating Kempes) and scarves dedicated to Bursaspor and Ally McCoist. Next,

Bar Ciudad Real Tu Pequeño Mestalla is smaller but with wonderful framed black-and-white images of post-war Valencia line-ups. It shares a large terrace with the jewel in the crown, the Museo Deportivo de Manolo el del Bombo. This rather grand title is the official name of the bar run by Manolo, the corpulent gent seen in the crowd at every World Cup beating a huge drum to cheer on his beloved Spain. This tiled masterpiece is a one-room pictorial history of Manolo’s football travels around the world. Note the photo of him with King Juán Carlos, the Spanish football badges round the bar counter and the collection of tickets and scarves. Opposite, beside the club shop, the Asociación Futbolistas Valencia CF is open to all, a two-room VCFthemed café-restaurant in sleek white with breakfast and lunchtime offers.

Photos

Baldo Bar

El Cau d’el Rall

Hotel Residencial Penalty

Hotel Puerta Valencia

Museo Deportivo de Manolo el del Bombo

Mestalla