Valencian Community autonomous football team
 | ||
| Nickname(s) | Selecció Valenciana | |
|---|---|---|
| Association | Valencian Football Federation | |
| ||
| First international | ||
 Valencian Community 5–0 Aragon  (Valencian Community; 12 June 1918) | ||
| Biggest win | ||
| Valencian Community 5–0 Aragon (Valencian Community; 12 June 1918) | ||
| Biggest defeat | ||
 Andalusia 4–1 Valencian Community (Jaén, Andalusia; 8 January 1928) | ||
The Valencian National football team is the national football team for the Valencian Community, Spain. They are not affiliated with FIFA or UEFA, because it is represented internationally by the Spain national football team. It only plays friendly matches, and has not organised a fixture since 2006.[1][2]
History[edit]
Historically, the Valencian team has had two well-differentiated periods: the time of the regional team, during which it faced other regional teams (1918-1944) and the time of the regional team, during which it faced six national A teams.
The Valencian football team made their debut against the South team on 19 November 1922 at the Campo de Algirós, in the quarter-finals of the 1922–23 Copa del Príncipe de Asturias, an official tournament organised by RFEF, and they lost 1-2. Eduardo Cubells was the author of the first goal in the history of the team.[3] In the following edition of the Prince of Asturias Cup, the Valencian team played their second ever game, again against the South team, and again losing, this time 3-2, and also again Cubells was the author of Valencia's consolation goals, although some sources list Arturo Montesinos as the goalscorer of Valencia's second goal.[4]
They had to wait 13 years for their first victory, when on 15 November 1936, they defied the expectations by defeating Catalonia by the incredible score of 4-0 at the Mestalla Stadium, thanks to braces from Severiano Goiburu and Langarita.
Matches played[edit]
Historic fixtures[edit]
| Date | Home Team | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 June 1918 | Land of Valencia |
Aragon |
5–0 |
| 13 June 1918 | Land of Valencia |
Aragon |
3–0 |
| 19 November 1922 1922–23 Prince of Asturias Cup quarter-finals | [a]Valencian Community | 1–2 | Andalusia[b] | Valencia, Valencian Community |
Cubells  60' (pen.) |
Report | Kinké 30' León 32' |
Stadium: Campo de Algirós Referee:  Enrique Peris |
| 11 November 1923 1923–24 Prince of Asturias Cup quarter-finals | [a]Valencian Community | 2–3 | Andalusia[b] | Valencia, Valencian Community |
| Cubells 38', 60' |
Report Report |
Brand 10' Kinké 15'Spencer 80' |
Stadium: Mestalla Stadium Referee:  Luis Colina | |
| Note: In some sources Arturo Montesinos is listed as the goalscorer of Valencia's second goal.[4] | ||||
| 8 January 1928 Friendly | Andalusia | 4–1 | Valencian Community | Jaén, Andalusia |
| Report |
| 18 October 1936 Friendly | Catalonia | 2–0 | Valencian Community | Barcelona, Catalonia |
| Betancourt 15' Juan Ramón 63' (o.g.) |
Stadium: Camp de Les Corts |
| 15 November 1936 Friendly | Valencian Community | 4–0 | Catalonia | Valencia, Valencian Community |
| Goiburu Langarita |
Stadium: Mestalla Stadium Referee: Tamarit |
| 27 March 1944 Friendly | Valencian Community | 3–4 | Catalonia | Valencia, Valencian Community |
| Epi Igoa Gorostiza |
Valle Martín César |
Stadium: Mestalla Stadium Referee: Tamarit |
| 23 April 1944 Friendly | Catalonia | 2–2 | Valencian Community | Barcelona, Catalonia |
| Bravo Martín (pen.) |
Report | Pasieguito Gorostiza |
Stadium: Camp de Les Corts |
- ^ a b the Levante (Valencian Federation) team.
- ^ a b the Sur (South Federation) team.
- The team also played matches against the leading club in the region, Valencia CF, five times in the 1930s and 40s and one in 1996.[5]
Recent fixtures[edit]
| 28 December 2001[6] Friendly | Valencian Community | 4–1 |  Lithuania |
| 27 December 2002 Friendly | Valencian Community | 1–2 |  Yugoslavia | Valencia, Valencian Community |
| V. Moreno 11' |
Report | Mijatovic 5' Ljuboja 62' |
Stadium: Mestalla Attendance: 15,000 Referee: M. A. Ayza Gámez |
| 27 December 2003 Friendly | Valencian Community | 1–0 |  Cameroon | Castellón de la Plana |
| J. Moreno 11' |
Report | Stadium: Nou Estadi Castàlia Attendance: 3,000 Referee: V. Lizondo Cortés |
| 28 December 2004 Friendly | Valencian Community | 1–2 |  Bulgaria | Valencia, Valencian Community |
Javi Moreno 90' |
Report | Berbatov 18' Manchev 54' |
Stadium: Mestalla Attendance: 10,000 Referee: V. Lizondo Cortés |
| 28 December 2005 Friendly | Valencian Community | 2–1 |  Colombia | Valencia, Valencian Community |
| David Navarro 9' Juanfran 84' |
Report | Castrillón 10' |
Stadium: Mestalla Attendance: 10,000 Referee: Ayza Gámez |
| 27 December 2006 Friendly | Valencian Community | 3–1 |  Peru | Elche, Valencian Community |
| Natalio 52' Parri 53'Redondo 77' |
Report | Vassallo 11' |
Stadium: Martínez Valero Attendance: 5,000 Referee: V. Lizondo Cortés |
Notable players[edit]
Amateur team (UEFA Regions' Cup)[edit]
The Valencia amateur team is composed of Valencian players of Tercera División and lower divisions is in charge of defending the Valencian Country in the UEFA Regions' Cup. The team is made up of non-professional players, hence the team's name. With the new format disputed by regions, the Valencians have not classified to dispute the European fight in any occasion.
Access to the Regions Cup is decided in the Spanish stage of the UEFA Regions' Cup, where the Valencian team achieved its best result in 2008, when it was proclaimed the winner of Group F of the First Spanish Phase of the VI UEFA Regions' Cup. This preliminary phase of Group F was played between 7 and 9 December 2007 in the Valencian town of La Nucia (Marina Baixa), but then, in the Spanish Intermediate Phase, they lost to the Catalonia amateur team.
In December 2019, the Valencian amateur team played in the First Spanish Phase of the 12th edition of the UEFA Regions' Cup in Vícar, Almería. They drew 0-0 against Andalusia and lost 2-1 against Asturias.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ "Selecciones sin autonomía" [Selections without autonomy]. Público (in Spanish). 22 December 2009. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
- ^ Auge y caída de la selección autonómica Valenciana [Rise and fall of the Valencian national team], Super Deporte (in Spanish), 3 January 2014
- ^ Vicente Martínez Calatrava (17 August 2009). "La Copa Príncipe de Asturias" [The Prince of Asturias Cup] (in Spanish). CIHEFE. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
- ^ a b "Sur - Levante (3 - 2) 11/11/1923". www.bdfutbol.com. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
- ^ Ficha de rival: Selección Valenciana, CiberChe (in Spanish)
- ^ La neu frustra el debut de la selecció valenciana de futbol [Snow breaks the debut of the Valencian football team] (in Catalan), Racó Català, 26 December 2001