Levante UD

Levante Unión Deportiva, S.A.D. is a Spanish professional association football club based in Valencia, in the namesake autonomous community. The club currently plays in La Liga, the top division of Spanish football.

The team was founded on 6 September 1909, making it one of the older clubs in Spain. For the 2025–26 season, Levante UD continues to compete in La Liga. The players host their home matches at the Ciutat de València Stadium, a venue known for its exciting atmosphere and passionate fans.

History

Levante UD was first registered as Levante Football Club on 9 September 1909, making it the oldest football club in Valencia. The team’s name comes from the eastern part of Spain, where the sun rises. Early games were played near the docks, and the club became linked with the working class. In 1928, Levante won its first trophy, the Valencian Championship.

During the Spanish Civil War, Levante and another team, Gimnástico, merged in 1939 to form Levante Unión Deportiva. The new team kept colors from both original clubs and adopted the nickname “Granota,” meaning Frogs.

Levante joined the top league, La Liga, in 1963 but was relegated after one season. The club moved between leagues for many years. In the early 1980s, famous player Johan Cruyff played for Levante for half a season. Levante returned to La Liga in 2004 but faced financial troubles and was relegated again in 2008. The team came back to La Liga in 2010 and had some successful seasons, even leading the league table for a short time in 2011.

Levante finished sixth in the league in the 2011–12 season and qualified for the UEFA Europa League for the first time. However, the club was relegated in 2016 and again in 2022 after a heavy loss to Real Madrid.

Seasons

Levante UD has played in many different leagues over the years. They have spent 17 seasons in the top league, called La Liga, and 41 seasons in the second-highest league. They have also played in lower divisions, including 12 seasons in Segunda División B, 16 seasons in Tercera División, and 1 season in the regional categories.

The club continues to compete in La Liga for the 2025–26 season.

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• 17 seasons in La Liga
• 41 seasons in Segunda División
• 12 seasons in Segunda División B
• 16 seasons in Tercera División
• 1 season in Categorías Regionales

Players

Current squad

As of 29 January 2026

Reserve team

Main article: Atlético Levante UD

Out on loan

Club officials

Current technical staff

Last updated on 20 December 2025. You can find more information at Levante UD (in Spanish).

Notable former players

This section lists some important players who have played for Levante UD. They are players who have appeared in at least 100 league games or have played for national teams.

See also: Category:Levante UD footballers

Coaches

Levante UD has had many coaches over the years. Here are some of the coaches who have led the team:

• Josep Escolà (1955–56)
• Enrique Orizaola (1964–65)
• Mundo (1971)
• José Juncosa (1972–73)
• Héctor Núñez (1973–74)
• Ferdinand Daučík (1974–75)
• Dagoberto Moll (1975–76)
• Pachín (1979–81, 1984–85, 1987–88)
• Joaquim Rifé (1981)
• Todor Veselinović (1981)
• Vicente Piquer (1981)
• Quique Hernández (1987)
• Antal Dunai (1990)
• José Antonio Irulegui (1990–91)
• Luis Costa (1992)
• José Enrique Díaz (1993–94, 1997)
• Jordi Gonzalvo (1994)
• Juande Ramos (1994–95)
• Mané (1996–97, 2005–06)
• Jesús Aranguren (1998)
• Pepe Balaguer (1998–2000, 2001–2002)
• José Carlos Granero (2000–01)
• Carlos García Cantarero (2002–03)
• Manuel Preciado (2003–04)
• Bernd Schuster (2004–05)
• José Luis Oltra (2005)
• Juan Ramón López Caro (2006–07)
• Abel Resino (2007)
• Gianni De Biasi (2007–08)
• José Ángel Moreno (2008)
• Luis García (2008–11)
• Juan Ignacio Martínez (2011–13)
• Joaquín Caparrós (2013–14)
• José Luis Mendilibar (2014)
• Lucas Alcaraz (2014–15)
• Rubi (2015–16)
• Juan Muñiz (2016–18)
• Paco López (2018–21)
• Javier Pereira (2021)
• Alessio Lisci (2021–22)
• Mehdi Nafti (2022)
• Javier Calleja (2022–2024)
• Felipe Miñambres (2024)
• Julián Calero (2024–2025)
• Luís Castro (2025-present)

Honours

National competitions

Levante UD has won many important titles. They won the Copa del Rey once in (/wiki/1937_Copa_de_la_España_Libre). They have also won the Segunda División three times, in the seasons 2003–04, 2016–17, and 2024–25. They share the record for winning Segunda División B five times, and they have won Tercera División seven times.

Regional competitions

In regional competitions, Levante UD won the Campeonato de Valencia in 1927–28 and the Campeonato Levante-Sur in 1934–35.

Friendly tournaments

The club has also won several friendly tournaments. These include the Trofeo Costa de Valencia in 1972, 1974, and 1977, the Trofeo Comunidad Valenciana in 1986, the Trofeo Ciutat de València in 1995, the Trofeo Ciudad de Valencia in 1997, and the Trofeo de la Generalitat Valenciana in 2000.

See also: Category:Levante UD managers

Stadium

Main article: Estadi Ciutat de València

Estadi Ciutat de València opened on September 9, 1969, and can hold 25,354 fans. The playing field is 107 by 69 metres long.

Because the 2019–20 season ended late due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the stadium needed renovations, Levante played without fans at Estadi Olímpic Camilo Cano in La Nucia, in the Province of Alicante.

Rivals

Main article: Valencia derby

Levante has a big rivalry with another local team called Valencia. They play a special match called the Derbi Valenciano, sometimes known as the Derbi del Turia or Derbi Valentino. This match has happened 38 times in official games, and Valencia has won 21 of them, while Levante has won 8.