Not so long ago, Valencia CF beat Barcelona in Copa del Rey final. At the same time, we travelled in Spain and witnessed how people from Madrid rejoiced at the loss of rivals during the match, and how happy the fans in Valencia were the next day after the victory. Is not it a good reason to visit the home stadium of Valencia, the famous Mestalla?
Practicalities
The stadium is located near the city centre, so you can easily reach it. It is about 15 minutes on foot from the nearest metro station. Tickets can be purchased on the website http://en.valenciacf.com.
The cost of a full ticket is 10.9 euros. Be careful! You must print the ticket out, otherwise, you will have to pay extra on the spot for the additional service. I cannot say, how much does it cost, because I found the copy centre on the way to the stadium.
Stadium Tour
The stadium tour consists of several parts. As in most cases, you can learn the history of the club and the stadium. The name of the club Valencia originates from the name of the city, but many people from outside call the club “bats”. It seems logical: on the emblem, you can find the corresponding image. The problem is that you may also find it on the emblem of the city and on the emblems of some other football clubs from this region.
Here trophies of the club are also presented. Of course, compared to the stadiums that I have visited, the collection is smaller, but still this is an interesting part of the exhibition. The club won four times in the national championship and eight times in the Cup. The collection also includes several international cups, including the Cup Winners’ Cup, the UEFA Cup and two Super Cups.
The museum has preserved historical photographs of the stadium, which survived with several reconstructions, the civil war, when it was used as a prison camp, and even the flood that occurred in 1957. Also, I can watch a short film.
Inside the stadium, you will see a mixed zone and press centre, which look a bit neglected.
Also, a small museum is included into the tour. Here you can find information about the players, their ammunition and other artefacts.
Of course, you will see a dressing room. Just like the press centre, it looks somewhat ascetic and shabby, but the guide said that the guest dressing room meets all the modern standards. Another nuance that the guide has noticed is that the noise of the stadium and fans shouting is very well heard in the dressing room, which should further motivate the players.
You will have the opportunity to watch the stadium from two points: from the central stand and from the edge of the field. At one of the stands you can see a sculpture of a man with glasses. This is one of the most loyal fans of Valencia – Vicente Navarro Aparicio. He was one of the first persons who bought a season ticket, as evidenced by number 18. However, there is another fact which made him legendary. At 54, Vincent had a retinal detachment, but even after getting blind, he continued to visit the stadium and support the team when listening what was going on the pitch by radio.
By the way, guess what the girls remove so carefully from the stadium? You will not believe: the leftovers of sunflower seeds!
At the bottom, everything corresponds to the classics: you can sit and take pictures on the substitution bench and touch the pitch.
What to see around the stadium
Around the stadium, few places are worth visiting. In front of the stadium is the statue of the fans of the club.
It is also worth mentioning Bar Manolo, which is located nearby. It is run by a well-known fan of Valencia and the Spanish national team, who supported them with his drums at many World and European Cups. Unfortunately, the bar does not work on weekdays, so come here at the weekend, and I am sure that you can spend your time in a nice atmosphere watching a football match.
Near the bar, there is a fan-shop where you can order a T-shirt with any player’s name or your own name. Nowadays, this is not a unique service, and the overall assortment of the shop turned out to be too small.
This is how I saw the Mestalla stadium. Of course, it can hardly be compared to luxury arenas I have already visited: Camp Nou, Amsterdam Arena, or Old Trafford. From another point of view, for sure, Mestalla deserves attention and is worth a visit. Moreover, Valencia may soon move to a new stadium, but the construction is going veeeery slowly 🙂
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