Did you know Barcelona 5 – 1 drubbing from Levante in their Maiden season in La liga? Or that the Spanish outfit is over a hundred years old? Or that Dutch Legend Cryuff was a part of the Levante setup? Intrigued? Let’s find out more. Did you that…
1.That they Merged with another Club
In 1939, Levante lost their Ground and Gimnástico lost its players to a civil war. The clubs then decided to join resources to become Unión Deportiva Levante-Gimnástico and two years later, Levante Unión Deportiva or as we know them today, Levante UD!
Yea that’s quite something! Definitely a class act by both teams!
2.That they are over a hundred years old?
The Club was Founded on the 9th of September 1909. They were originally named Levante Fútbol Club. Since their inception they were one of the leading football clubs fromValencia.
Yea so the 107 year old was formed on – 9/9/1909 – that is a lot of nines!
3.Their Logo has a hidden meaning!
The colours in their logo comprise of the jerseys of both clubs. The Red and Blue represent the Home Colours of Gimnástico and the Black and White colours represent Levante’s original Away jersey.
What a neat way to remember the past!
4.That Sergio Ballesteros is a club legend
Sergio Ballesteros started and ended his career with the Spanish outfit making over 200 appearances with them, highest in the recent times. He scored over 7 goals for the side in his 7 seasons with the club. The Centre Back was their captain in his last season as a player.
5.That their rivalry with Valencia is almost a 100years old
Valencia and Levante are just 62 kilometers apart. The first match ended 1 – 0 in the favour of Valencia and the two sides have shared a healthy rivalry in recent times.
You guessed it! These two know how to keep it professional!
6.They Beat Barcelona 5 – 1.
In 1964, FC Barcelona lost 5 – 1 to Levante in the Valencia based side’s maiden season in the La Liga. Even though the La Liga giants finished 8 places above Levante that season, a 5 – 1 victory is certainly something that one won’t forget.
Levante finished 15th in the league that season whereas Barcelona finished 7th but the side knew how to make their presence felt.
7.That they have won Multiple Titles
Despite their recent fall slump, the club has won it’s fair share of Silverware. They have won Segunda División B 3 times, Tercera División 2 times, Copa de la España Libre, Campeonato de Valencia and the Segunda División 1 time each.
Yes! That is a total of 8 trophies!
8.That Ruben Suarez is a club legend
Spanish forward Ruben Suarez made 127 appearances for Levante in his 4 season with the side. He managed to beat the keeper in over 35 occasions and was their top scorer multiple times. He managed to score one of the highest number of goals with the club in the short time he was with the side.
Yes! His instant impact led to his status as a club legend.
9.That Johan Cruyff played for them
The Dutch international played for their side in the year 1981 making 10 appearances. The Ajax Legends spell was eclipsed with injuries but that did not deter him. He eventually left the club following disagreements with the management.
Yea! That’s right!
10.That their biggest home victory came 11 years ago.
On 4th December 2005, Levante beat Ciudad Murcia 6 – 0. The Second Division matchup was one which Levante Fans will never forget as it was the biggest win in the clubs history. Congo, Alexis, Diego Camacho, Ettien scored a goal each whereas Riga beat the keeper on 3 occasions.
Right on! That is a huge win!
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