‘Los Granotas’ [the frogs] pre-date their local rivals by a decade, with Levante Futbol Club playing its first game in 1909, while based in the seaside El Cabanyal district of the city.

Valencia Club de Futbol then arrived in 1919, closer to the centre at Mestalla, with the first ‘official’ derby being played the following year in the Valencian Regional Championship.

When LaLiga began in 1928/29, Valencia began in the second tier, earning promotion to the top flight within just three seasons. ‘Los Che’ quickly established themselves as one of Spain’s biggest clubs, winning a first LaLiga title in 1941/42, and two more in the next five years.

Meanwhile, after merging with neighbours Gimnastico Futbol Club in 1939, Levante UD reached the second tier by 1945/46, and achieved a first promotion to the top flight in 1963. That meant a first LaLiga Valencia city derby took place at Mestalla on 28th September 1963 with the home team winning 5-3, still the highest-scoring meeting to this day. Levante had their revenge the following January, with a 1-0 victory at their then home, the Estadio de Vallejo. 

Levante were again watching from lower divisions as the neighbours won the LaLiga title in 1970/71, 2001/2 and 2003/04. But promotion to LaLiga Santander for 2004/05 has led to the historically smaller team establishing themselves at the top level, spending 11 of the last 15 seasons in LaLiga Santander. 

With the ‘derbi del Turia’ is now a regular fixture in the city’s schedule, Valencia have often had the upper hand but have never managed to win both home and away in the same season. Los Che’s 5-1 victory in 2007/08 at Levante’s current Estadio Ciudad de Valencia thanks to a David Villa hat-trick, remains the biggest winning margin by either side. 

Levante’s 4-2 victory in 2006/07 is their biggest victory over the neighbours. Los Granotas have never won a LaLiga game at Mestalla, but the goalless draw achieved there on the final day of 2010/11 was hugely celebrated as it secured safety from relegation. 

Such regular meetings have also increased the chances of controversy and incident. A ‘ghost goal’ by Valencia striker Mista in January 2005 is still debated today, while Levante supporters do not enjoy memories of a tight offside call as Valencia’s Juan Mata scored a derby winner in 2011. 

Movement between the two sides is not uncommon. Infact, 100 players have represented both clubs through the decades, with legendary Dutch striker Faas Wilkes fondly remembered for the goals scored for each back in the 1960s. Serbian forward Predrag Mijatovic also played for the two either side of the turn of the century, sandwiching a spell at Real Madrid. More recently Vicente Rodriguez, Juanfran Garcia, Asier del Horno and Javier Farinos have worn both Valencia's white and black and Levante's blue and deep red colours at LaLiga level.