Levante UD is Valencia's oldest professional football club, deeply rooted in the working-class maritime district of El Cabañal, Valencia, Spain. Universally known as "Granotas" (The Frogs) or "Los Azulgranas" (The Blue-and-Red-And-Clarets), the team plays its home matches at the 26,354-capacity Estadi Ciutat de València.
Founded in 1909 as Levante FC before merging with Gimnástico FC in 1939, the club traditionally plays in navy-and-carmine vertical striped shirts with blue shorts. Levante holds a unique place in Spanish football history, having won the historic wartime Copa de la España Libre in 1937, which was officially recognized as a Copa del Rey equivalent by the RFEF in 2023.
The club experienced a famous modern golden era in the early 2010s under Juan Ignacio Martínez. Levante topped the La Liga standings for the first time in 2011, achieved a historic 6th-place finish, and enjoyed a memorable debut European campaign by reaching the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 in 2013, famously backed by legendary squad leaders like Keylor Navas and Arouna Koné.
Levante UD maintains a passionate and historic local city rivalry against cross-town neighbors Valencia CF, contesting the high-stakes City of Valencia Derby (Derbi de la Ciutat de València).
Valencia (Spain)
