Valencia Club de Fútbol was founded on 18 March 1919 in the Mediterranean port city of Valencia, Spain. Initially playing at the Algirós ground, the club moved to its iconic Estadio Mestalla in 1923, where it has played ever since. The bat (murciélago) on the club crest comes from the coat of arms of King James I of Aragon, the medieval reconqueror of Valencia.
Valencia's six La Liga titles place them third on the all-time list among non-Madrid/Barcelona clubs (alongside Atlético). The club's first golden era spanned the 1940s, with three league titles between 1942 and 1947 led by the legendary forward Edmundo "Mundo" Suárez. The most celebrated modern period came under Rafael Benítez in the early 2000s — Valencia won La Liga in 2001-02 and 2003-04 with a defensive-minded side built on Pablo Aimar, Rubén Baraja, David Albelda, and Juan Sánchez. The 2003-04 campaign was a domestic-European double, with the UEFA Cup added at the end of the season. Earlier, under Héctor Cúper, Valencia reached back-to-back UEFA Champions League finals in 2000 and 2001 — losing both, to Real Madrid and Bayern Munich respectively.
Eight Copa del Rey triumphs (most recently 2018-19), the 1979-80 Cup Winners' Cup, two UEFA Super Cups and two Inter-Cities Fairs Cup titles round out a rich trophy cabinet. The Mestalla and the city's intense fan culture have produced footballing legends including Mario Kempes, David Silva, David Villa, Juan Mata, Pablo Aimar and Roberto Ayala. The fierce Derbi de la Comunitat against city rivals Levante and the broader Spanish footballing rivalries with Madrid and Barcelona are central to Valencia's identity. Singaporean businessman Peter Lim took over the club in 2014.