The Mestalla: Valencia CF
By Valencia CF (Valencia CF) [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons
The Estadi de Mestalla, better known as The Mestalla, opened its doors for the first time in 1923. It has been the exclusive home of Valencia Club de Fútbol ever since then, with the Spanish side having played its home games at the Algirós ground before that. Los Che are one of La Liga’s most successful sides, being one of only a few teams to break up the almost never-ending domination of Barcelona and Real Madrid, something they’ve done several times.
The Mestalla has undergone numerous changes over the years, starting life in 1923 as a 17,000 seat stadium. In 1927 that was increased to 25,000 and it has been increased several more times since then. We’ll get into the details of the stadium’s history further on on this page, but you might be interested to know that it hasn’t been used solely as a football ground over the years – it has also been used as a concentration camp during the Spanish Civil War and a storage warehouse.
Stats
| The Mestalla Stats | |
|---|---|
| Year Opened | 1923 |
| Capacity | 49430 |
| Average Attendance | 43420 |
| Record Attendance | 55000 (Valencia v Sevilla (2009)) |
| Pitch Size | 105 x 70 (7350) |
| Nickname | The Mestalla |
| Former Name | Estadio Luís Casanova |
| Owner | Valencia Club de Fútbol |
| Clubs Hosted | Valencia CF |
| First Fixture | Valencia v Levante (20/05/1923) |
| Valencia CF Stats | |
|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1919 |
| Nickname | Los Che, Els Taronges (The Oranges), Valencianistes, Los Murciélagos (The Bats) |
| Club Mascot | Super Rat |
| Rivals | Sevilla, Levante, Hercules |
| Previous Stadiums | Algirós |
| Kit | White & Black (Home) / Maroon & Black (Away) / Blue (Third) |
| Training Ground | Ciudad Deportiva de Paterna |
| Shirt Sponsor | TM Real Estate |
| Team Owner | Peter Lim |
| Record Goalscorer | Edmundo Suárez (238) |
| Record Appearances | Fernando Gómez (554) |
The Mestalla Photos
From Valencia CF
By Falconaumanni (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0]
By Lars MS (Flickr: Mestalla I) [CC BY 2.0]
By Coentor (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0]
By unoodostoques (Flickr: "Sentiment") [CC BY 2.0]
By Coentor (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0]
By Tot-futbol (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0]
The Mestalla Seating Plan and Where to Sit
The Mestalla is an impressive stadium. It is something of a cross between a European-esque bowl of continuous seating and a more ‘British’ stadium with four individual stands. There is arguably no stand more impressive in all of European football than the North Stand, which features an incredibly steep top section. Away supporters are housed in the North-East section. The East Stand is also an impressive sight and the largest part of the entire stadium. Opposite it and also running along the side of the pitch is the West Stand. This is where the dugouts, changing rooms and players’ tunnel are housed and is the main stand of the ground. Last but not least is the South Stand, where the most noisy and passionate Valencia fans are located.
Valencia CF Ticket Prices
As with plenty of top-fight teams throughout Europe, ticket prices vary depending on several factors. Valencia tend to price their matches according to the opposition, so if Real or Barca come to town then expect to pay a bit more than the likes of SD Eibar. Typically prices will range from around €30 to €100, depending on whether you want to sit behind the goal or in a stand that runs along the side of the pitch. For top games ticket you will be looking at between €100 and €250.
Concessions don’t appear to really be a thing in Spain.
How To Get Valencia CF Tickets
Valencia have some of the most loyal fans in Spain, consequently The Mestalla’s occupancy rate is always pretty high. Tickets are normally available for all but the most sought after matches, though, so drop into the stadium on the day and you’ll likely be able to get a ticket on the gate. You can order before the match via the club’s official website, or you can pick some up from club shop.
Where to Buy
Getting To The Mestalla
Train – It will take you between fourteen and twenty hours to get the train from London to Valencia, so you might want to head there by other means. Once there head to Aragón Station on Line 5 of the Metro and the stadium will be right in front of you when you get off.
Bus – Numerous buses stop within walking distance of the ground, including numbers 10, 12, 41, 79, 32 and N1.
Car – If you’re looking to drive to the stadium then the V-21 and the V-15 should get you there.
By Air – Valencia-Manises is the main airport that serves the city. It’s just over ten miles or so form the ground.
Taxi – A taxi from the airport to the stadium will take about twenty minutes to complete its journey and will likely cost between €18 and €25, traffic depending.
Parking Near The Mestalla
There is no parking near to the stadium apart from on-street parking. The Primado Reig Parking is the best option for an official parking location.
Useful Resources
The Mestalla Hotels
Being on the coast, Valencia is full of hotels and places to stay.
Colegio Mayor La Concepción - £50+
Sweet Hotel Renasa - £60+
SH Valencia Palace - £80+
Pubs and Bars Near The Mestalla
Why does Spain have such a large number of Irish bars? Probably because English people like drinking in them. There’s one in this list plus a few other good options.
Saint Patrick's Irish Pub
BrassaSport Valencia
Bar Mestalla
Facilities
The ground’s design means sightlines are excellent from any seat, and as for comfort it’s about as good as a stadium is possible to get.
Hospitality
There are a number of excellent hospitality options at The Mestalla. The Palco VIP section, for example, is in the heart of The East Stand, whilst those of you who like a more personalised experience might want to have a look at the Suites that offer maximum privacy and comfort.
Private Hire
As with most top-class grounds around Europe, you can use the facilities at The Mestalla for numerous non-footballing reasons. The suites are available for small meetings and there are larger parts of the ground where you can have conferences and host presentations.
Stadium Tours & Museum
Tours of The Mestalla take in some genuinely interesting places that you might not get to see at other stadiums, such as the medical centre and the fans balcony. You’ll also get to see the likes of the dressing room, the players’ tunnel and the pitch side dugouts. It costs €13.50 for adults, €10.90 for concessions and €7.50 for Members.
Tours are available all year around apart form on Christmas Day, New Year’s Day and the sixth of January. They run from 10am until 6.30pm on non-weekdays with an hour closed for lunch between 2.30pm and 3.30pm. On Sundays it’s open from 10.30am until 2.30pm and on match days stadium tours run up five hours before kick-off, though you won’t be able to get into the dressing rooms.
About Valencia CF
Valencia Club de Fútbol was founded on the 5th of March in 1919 and has gone on to become the third more supported football team in the country of Spain. No mean feat considering that the city of Valencia boasts two other teams – namely Villarreal and Levante. The club has more than 50,000 season ticket holders and is behind only Real Madrid and Barcelona in terms of volume of supporters. It didn’t take the club long to establish itself as one of Spain’s most successful clubs, having a relatively dominant period in the 1940s – despite having seen its success stunted by the Spanish Civil War.
The club has also enjoyed some success in Europe, reaching seven finals and managing to win four of them. Two of their losses were back-to-back Champions Leagues in 2000 and 2001. They’ve been crowned La Liga champions on six different occasions, winning eight Copa del Rey trophies and two Fairs Cup titles along the way. One of the club’s major successes actually came off the field, its youth academy has produced players such as David Albelda, David Silva, Isco and Jordi Alba.
The Mestalla History
Building of The Mestalla began early in 1923 and was completed in time for a friendly match between Valencia and Levante on the 20th of May that year. The inside of the stadium was damaged during the Spanish Civil War, meaning that only the structure itself survived and had to be renovated during the 1950s. At this time the capacity was increased from around 25,000 to 45,500. Unfortunately the nearby River Turia broke its banks in 1957 and the stadium was damaged in the subsequent flood. It was improved again over the next two years, being inaugurated in its refreshed state during the Fallas Festivities of 1959.
The stadium changed name from Estadi de Mestalla to Estadio Luis Casanova in 1969 in order to honour a former club president by the name of Luis Casanova Giner. In 1994 Casanova actually requested for it to be changed back, claiming he was overawed by the honour. Over the years it has hosted matches for the Spain national team on a couple of occasions. That includes the 1982 World Cup when Spain was the host country and The Mestalla was used as the national side’s main venue. During the 1992 Summer Olympics the Spain national team played all of their Olympic matches in the ground on the way to Gold.
Future Developments
In 2007 work began on a new ground for Valencia named Nou Mestalla. The intention was that it would open in time for the 2009-2010 season, but instead financial problems beset the club and the new ground. Work halted until 2013 when new construction plans were announced. The most recent news is that the new stadium is going to be ready for 2025, but it’s also been removed as a host stadium for the 2030 World Cup. So who knows.