Stylish stands at Mestalla in Valencia

Valencia - Mestalla 14.04.2016: The symbol of the city of Valencia is a bat, and a bat is also to be found in the crests of Valencia CF and Levante UD respectively, both playing in the Spanish 1st league. And since its last modernization in 2014, a bat has also been a part of the Valencia stadium. On that occasion, Estadio Mestalla was covered with new, mostly orange seats and all over the East Stand black seats create the image of a bat, with white letters V C F in the middle.

However, this most recent modernization, completed in 2014, was not part of Valencia’s original plans. In 2007 the club began construction of a new stadium with a similar name – Nou Mestalla – on the site of a former factory, 3.7 km north-east of the current Mestalla. Within two years the basic reinforced concrete structure was built and then, in 2009, the construction was suspended for financial reasons.

In 2011 the club announced that they had come to an agreement with the bank regarding the completion of the stadium construction and that after the completion the property connected with the old stadium, namely the land, would pass into the ownership of the bank. The long-awaited opening of Nou Mestalla should have taken place in 2014, but it didn’t. The completion date is as yet uncertain, and that is why the club has opted for modernization of the current stadium, Mestalla.

Given the fact that the current stadium has a capacity of 55,000 and is filled to capacity only occasionally, usually when Valencia plays Barcelona or Real, it is quite incomprehensible that Valencia should decide to build a stadium, which would have a capacity of 73,000 seats, thus effectively marring their own plans.

Modernization of Estadio Mestalla - 2014: