World Football Club Crests

In May 2013, Valencia’s club crest attracted a great deal of international attention as the American comic book publisher DC Comics protested against an alternative version of the emblem. Valencia were going to introduce a new clothes label with a modified version of the bat which can be found in the club’s badge. DC Comics, who own the rights to Batman, thought that this logo was too like the image of their winged superhero and lodged a protest with the EU Commission on the grounds of copyright infringement. The case went no further, as the Spanish club chose to back down.

In sporting terms Valencia is one of Spain’s greatest clubs, and they were also the team that challenged Real Madrid and Barcelona in the early years of the new millennium. During their golden era between 2000 and 2004, the club secured two league titles, one UEFA Cup win, and two consecutive Champions League finals. But Valencia was no newcomer on the international scene; they had won European as well as domestic titles.

After some years of financial problems, Valencia are once again aiming for the top with the acquisition of expensive players, a much longed-for stadium and a world class youth academy. There is a lot to suggest that the bat may be watching over a glorious future for the club. As it happens, the bat was first incorporated into Valencia’s emblem back in 1919, a full 20 years before DC Comics’ guardian of Gotham City first saw the light of day.

CLUB: Valencia CF

NICKNAMES: Los Che (the Pals), Els Taronges (the Oranges), Valencianistes and Los Murciélagos (the Bats)

FOUNDED: 1919

STADIUM: Mestalla, Valencia (49,500 capacity), pending the completion of Nou Mestalla

HISTORIC PLAYERS: Edmundo Suárez, Fernando Gómez Colomer, Mario Kempes, Gaizka Mendieta and Santiago Cañizares

1919. The football club Valencia was founded in 1919 and was for a short while represented by this emblem. The square, the crown and the bat are taken from the town’s heraldic shield. The club added the intials and the football on which the emblem rests.

1919–1920. This emblem was produced in the club’s first year and has been associated with the club ever since. The crest in the picture is the first of six similar versions used over the years. The changes made in this time have involved the look of the bat, the shape of the shield and also the initials – at the time of its founding the name of the club was Valencia Football Club.

2009–present. This latest club crest is from 2009 and contains all the well known elements. The yellow and red stripes look like those on the Catalan flag Senyera, but in this case they come from the flag and city crest of Valencia. The bat is an important regional symbol: it is said to have brought James I of Aragon luck when he conquered Valencia in 1238 and liberated the town from the Moors. The bat can also be seen in the emblem of the neighbouring club, Levantes.

Valencia’s team goalkeeper Pereira claims the ball in the 1980 European Cup Winners’ Cup. His side, with their iconic bat motif, overcame Arsenal 5-4 on penalities.