Deportivo Alavés facts for kids
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| Full name | Deportivo Alavés, S.A.D. | |||
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| Nickname(s) | Babazorros El Glorioso (The glorious one) Los blanquiazules (The Blue and Whites) |
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| Founded | 1 July 1920 as Sport Friend's Club | |||
| Ground | Mendizorroza | |||
| Capacity | 19,840 | |||
| Owner | Baskonia-Alavés Group | |||
| President | Alfonso Fernández de Trocóniz | |||
| Head coach | Luis García Plaza | |||
| League | La Liga | |||
| 2022–23 | Segunda División, 4th of 22 (promoted via play-offs) | |||
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Deportivo Alavés, often just called Alavés, is a Spanish football club. It is based in Vitoria-Gasteiz, a city in the Basque Country region of Spain. The club was started on July 1, 1920, as Sport Friend's Club. Today, Alavés plays in La Liga, which is the top football league in Spain.
Alavés is known as the third most successful team in the Basque Country. The two teams ahead of them are Athletic Club and Real Sociedad. One of their biggest achievements was in 2001. They reached the final of the UEFA Cup (now called the Europa League) in their first time playing in a European competition. They lost a very exciting game 5–4 to Liverpool in extra time. In 2017, Alavés also made it to the final of the Copa del Rey, Spain's main cup competition, but lost 3–1 to Barcelona.
The team's home uniform is a blue and white striped shirt, blue shorts, and white socks. They play their home games at the Mendizorrotza Stadium, which can hold 19,840 fans. They also have training facilities at Ibaia.
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Club History: From Founding to Today
Deportivo Alavés was first founded in 1920 as Sport Friends. On January 23, 1921, the name was officially changed to Deportivo Alavés. This is considered the club's official founding date. Alavés was the first team to get promoted from the Segunda División (second division) to La Liga (first division) in the 1929–30 season. They stayed in La Liga for three years. In their first season in the top league, they finished 8th out of 10 teams.
The club returned to the top league in the 1953–54 season for two years. Later, in June 1983, Alavés moved down to Segunda División B (the third division). They faced serious financial problems in the 1990s, even playing in the fourth tier for a while. But they fought back and earned promotion to the Segunda División in 1994–95.
After winning the Segunda División in 1997–98, Alavés returned to La Liga after 42 years! In their first season back, they just avoided being relegated. The next year, they beat Barcelona twice and qualified for the UEFA Cup for the first time. This was a huge achievement, as they finished sixth in La Liga, their highest-ever position.
The Exciting 2001 UEFA Cup Final
In the 2000–01 season, Alavés had an amazing run in the UEFA Cup. They beat big teams like Internazionale and 1. FC Kaiserslautern to reach the final. The final match against Liverpool was one of the most thrilling games in the competition's history. Alavés lost 5–4 in extra time due to a "golden goal" (an own goal that ended the game instantly). Even though they lost, it was an incredible achievement for the club.
Alavés qualified for the UEFA Cup again in 2002–03 but did not go as far. They were relegated from La Liga in 2002–03. They returned to the top flight two years later. During this time, a new owner, Dmitry Pietrman, took over. His time at the club was difficult, and Alavés ended up in debt. They were relegated again in 2008–09.
Return to La Liga and Copa del Rey Final
After a tough period in the third division, José Antonio Querejeta bought Alavés. The club was promoted back to the second division in 2013. Three years later, on May 29, 2016, Alavés won the second division and was promoted to La Liga once more!
In their return season (2016–17), Alavés surprised everyone. On September 10, 2016, they beat the defending La Liga champions, Barcelona, 2–1 at their home stadium, Camp Nou. On February 7, 2017, Alavés made history by reaching the Copa del Rey Final for the first time ever. They played against Barcelona again in the final, losing 3–1. Despite the loss, reaching the final was a huge moment for the club.
In the 2021–22 season, Alavés was relegated from La Liga after six years in the top division, which was their longest stay. However, they quickly bounced back! The very next season (2022–23), they won the play-off final against Levante to earn promotion back to La Liga for the 2023–24 season.
Club Achievements and Records
Alavés has played:
- 19 seasons in La Liga (top division)
- 38 seasons in Segunda División (second division)
- 12 seasons in Segunda División B (third division)
- 22 seasons in Tercera División (fourth division)
- 1 season in Regional Categories
Recent Seasons: A Quick Look
| Season | Div | Pos. | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts | Cup | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013–14 | 2A | 18th | 42 | 13 | 12 | 17 | 57 | 57 | 51 | Third round | |
| 2014–15 | 2A | 13th | 42 | 14 | 11 | 17 | 49 | 53 | 53 | Round of 32 | |
| 2015–16 | 2A | 1st | 42 | 21 | 12 | 9 | 49 | 35 | 75 | Third round | Promoted |
| 2016–17 | 1 | 9th | 38 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 41 | 43 | 55 | Runners-up | |
| 2017–18 | 1 | 14th | 38 | 15 | 2 | 21 | 40 | 50 | 47 | Quarter-finals | |
| 2018–19 | 1 | 11th | 38 | 13 | 11 | 14 | 39 | 50 | 50 | Round of 32 | |
| 2019–20 | 1 | 16th | 38 | 10 | 9 | 19 | 34 | 59 | 39 | First round | |
| 2020–21 | 1 | 16th | 38 | 9 | 11 | 18 | 36 | 57 | 38 | Round of 32 | |
| 2021–22 | 1 | 20th | 38 | 8 | 7 | 23 | 31 | 65 | 31 | Second round | Relegated |
| 2022–23 | 2A | 4th | 42 | 19 | 14 | 9 | 47 | 33 | 71 | Round of 16 | Promoted in Play-off |
| 2023–24 | 1 | Round of 16 |
Players and Staff
Current Team Players
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Players on Loan
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Management Team
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Head coach |  Luis García Plaza |
| Assistant coach | Pedro Rostoll |
| Goalkeeping coach | Javier Barbero |
| Technical assistant | Christian Moya |
| Fitness coach | Félix Vicente Nenad Njaradi |
| Analyst | Raúl Gallego Jon Zubillaga |
| Physiotherapist | Javier Pérez Elorrieta Eneko Candal Danel Etxeberria Raul Gutierrez |
| Rehab fitness coach | Mario Pérez Iñigo Simón |
| Nutritionist | Álex Garcia |
| Director of Medical Services | Alberto Fernández |
| Psychologist | Emilio Ibañez |
| Delegate | Lluís Codina |
| Equipment manager | David Yébenes |
Team Kits and Symbols
Team Kits
For many years, Alavés wore kits made by the Danish brand Hummel. In the 2017-2018 season, they switched to new kits from Kelme. They worked with Kelme until 2022. That year, the team signed a new deal with the German company Puma for four seasons. When Puma launched the new kits, they brought back the traditional vertical stripes and kept the original black shorts.
Club Symbols: The Crest
Deportivo Alavés has changed its club crest (logo) several times since it was founded in 1921. The very first crest looked a lot like the official symbol of the Álava province. Instead of an arm holding a sword, the team's crest had a blue and white flag. At the top of the crest, there was a small circle with the letters "DA" for Deportivo Alavés.
In 1922, the crest became simpler, showing just a flag. This flag was white with a blue stripe in the middle. The letters "DA" were in a square at the top left corner. This design stayed until 1950. When the team changed its name to Club Deportivo Alavés, the initials on the crest also changed. In 1950, the team updated its crest to look more like the traditional Álava symbol. They added back the castle and lion, and also a sword. The "C.D.A." flag was placed behind the castle, and the whole design was put inside a circle with a crown on top.
Home Stadium
- Name: Mendizorrotza
- City: Vitoria-Gasteiz
- Capacity: 19,840 fans
- Opened: 1924
- Pitch size: 105 meters by 67 meters
- Other training places: El Glorioso and José Luis Compañón
Famous Players Who Played in the World Cup
These players were chosen to play for their country in the World Cup while they were playing for Alavés:
John Aloisi (2006)
John Guidetti (2018)
Partner Clubs
Deportivo Alavés B and C Teams
Deportivo Alavés has a main reserve team called Deportivo Alavés B. It was started in 1960 and plays in the Tercera División (fourth division). When the B team moved up to Segunda División B in 2000, another reserve team, Deportivo Alavés C, was formed. This C team later worked with a local team called Club San Ignacio. However, the C team was stopped in 2005 because of money problems at the club. San Ignacio and most other teams near Vitoria-Gasteiz still work as partner clubs with Alavés.
International Partnerships
- California Victory: In 2007, Alavés had a team in the United States called the California Victory. They played in San Francisco and wore Alavés's colors. But Alavés stopped supporting the team later that year, and the Victory team closed down.
- NK Rudeš: In May 2017, Alavés started a ten-year partnership with NK Rudeš, a club from Croatia. Rudeš was supposed to be a "feeder club" for Alavés, meaning they would help develop players for Alavés. This partnership ended in June 2018.
- Sochaux: In April 2018, Alavés also made an agreement with the French club FC Sochaux-Montbéliard. However, this partnership only lasted a few months and ended in December of the same year.
- NK Istra 1961: In June 2018, a few weeks after ending the deal with Rudeš, Alavés bought a controlling share in another Croatian top-tier club, NK Istra 1961.
See also
In Spanish: Deportivo Alavés para niños
