On 18 March 1919 Valencia was officially entered in the register of societies, and that is the day it celebrates as its birthday. On 18 March 2027 it turns 108. And this time the anniversary is special, because the 2026-27 season is the team's last at Mestalla.

A bar and a coin

The club's first headquarters was Bar Torino, in the area of today's Town Hall Square. There a group of friends, among them Octavio Augusto Milego and Gonzalo Medina, set up the team. The founding document was signed in early March, and official registration followed on the 18th.

Who would be president? According to the club, the matter was left to chance, with a coin toss between Milego and Medina. Milego won and became Valencia's first president.

White from day one

The first kit was a white shirt with black shorts and black socks. That is why the team is also called the "blanquinegros", the black and whites. The sources do not explain why white was chosen, only that it has been with the club since 1919.

The second great colour in its history is a deep red that the club calls "Torino Red". Its first known use was in a cup match against Sevilla on 4 March 1928, when home side Valencia changed colours as a courtesy. Valencia also wore red in the cup finals against Real Madrid in 1934, 1946 and 1970.

The king's bat

Valencia's crest is dominated by a bat with outspread wings. It was already on the first, provisional emblem: an embroidered patch on the left breast, with a ball, the letters C and V and elements of the city's coat of arms.

Why a bat? Here we are in the realm of legend, and the versions differ. One says a bat woke the soldiers of King James I (Jaume I) just before a night attack, while the other says it landed on his flag in 1238, as he retook the city, and he saw it as a good omen.

The basis of today's crest appeared in the 1920-21 season, most likely drawn by Francisco Aguar Tarín. In the 1980s it took a heart shape, and around 2000 it settled into its current, simpler form.

Mestalla, a home for more than a century

The team first played at Algirós, from December 1919. On 20 May 1923 Mestalla was inaugurated with a friendly against Levante and room for 17,000 people.

Today it holds around 49,000 spectators and is getting ready to hand over to the Nou Mestalla. The 2026-27 home shirt combines white with red, as a tribute to the club's history before the move.

Titles and legends

Valencia have won six Spanish league titles, the last in 2004, and eight Spanish Cups. In Europe they lifted two Fairs Cups (1962, 1963), the 1980 Cup Winners' Cup and the 2004 UEFA Cup.

They also reached two Champions League finals in a row, in 2000 and 2001, losing to Real Madrid and Bayern. The shirt has been worn by Mundo, the club's all-time top scorer with 238 goals, Mario Kempes, Gaizka Mendieta, David Villa and David Silva.

Celebrate with us

White, black, a touch of red and a bat on the chest: the Valencia shirt tells the story of a whole city. This year, with the farewell to Mestalla approaching, it is worth even more to every collector.

Happy birthday, Valencia, and a great start in your new home!

See our Valencia jerseys at sportarena.gr.

Photo: Mestalla before the Valencia–Barcelona match, December 2023 – Anidae, Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.