The Valencia Firebats are a
gridiron team based in
Valencia
Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the autonomous community of Valencia and the third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is also the capital of the province of the same name. The wider urban area al ...
,
Valencian Community
The Valencian Community ( ca-valencia, Comunitat Valenciana, es, Comunidad Valenciana) is an autonomous community of Spain. It is the fourth most populous Spanish autonomous community after Andalusia, Catalonia and the Community of Madrid wi ...
(
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
).
History
The team was established in April, 1993, as Valencia Bats, joining the defunct ''American Football League (AFL)'' for the 1994 season. The following season a new national league is created in Spain, divided in two divisions, First and Second. Valencia Bats are invited to compete in the
First Division, where they have been playing ever since.
In the 2002 season, the team makes his first appearance in the
EFAF Cup The EFAF Cup was an international competition for European American Football clubs. It was the second highest level of club competition in the European Federation of American Football (EFAF), behind the European Football League (EFL),.
EFAF Cup ...
, in the same group with
Badalona Dracs
The Badalona Dracs (, "Badalona Dragons") are a gridiron football team based in Badalona, Catalonia. History
Three American football enthusiasts got together in Badalona on a December 1987's evening to found the team. They were Pere Moliner, first ...
(Spain) and
Ostia Marines (Italy).
2006 was a remarkable season, as the team won their first national bowl, beating
L'Hospitalet Pioners
The L'Hospitalet Pioners (; "L'Hospitalet Pioneers") are a gridiron football team based in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Catalonia (Spain).
History
Their nickname recalls the history of the team, as they are one of the pioneering teams to play gridir ...
and qualifying for the first time for the
European Football League, where they met
Bergamo Lions (Italy) and
Tirol Raiders (Austria) in the 2007 season.
They won the Spanish bowl again on the next season, 2007, against
Badalona Dracs
The Badalona Dracs (, "Badalona Dragons") are a gridiron football team based in Badalona, Catalonia. History
Three American football enthusiasts got together in Badalona on a December 1987's evening to found the team. They were Pere Moliner, first ...
this time. Once again, they qualified as national champions for the European Football League. This time, rivals were
Coventry Jets (UK) and
Oslo Vikings
Oslo Vikings is an American football club located in Oslo, Norway, that competes in the Eliteserien of the Norges Amerikanske Idretters Forbund, and the European Federation of American Football tournaments.
The club was founded in 1986 and prior ...
(Norway).
In the 2008 season, for third time in a row, they played the , Spanish bowl, being defeated by
L'Hospitalet Pioners
The L'Hospitalet Pioners (; "L'Hospitalet Pioneers") are a gridiron football team based in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Catalonia (Spain).
History
Their nickname recalls the history of the team, as they are one of the pioneering teams to play gridir ...
, but qualifying for their third European Football League, where they faced the
Bolzano Giants
Bolzano ( or ; german: Bozen, (formerly ); bar, Bozn; lld, Balsan or ) is the capital city of the province of South Tyrol in northern Italy. With a population of 108,245, Bolzano is also by far the largest city in South Tyrol and the third la ...
(Italy) and the
Braunschweig Lions
The New Yorker Lions are an American Football team from Braunschweig, Germany. Until late 2010, the team was known as the Braunschweig Lions. (Germany) in 2009.
In 2009 they faced their 4th
Spanish bowl, beating the
Badalona Dracs
The Badalona Dracs (, "Badalona Dragons") are a gridiron football team based in Badalona, Catalonia. History
Three American football enthusiasts got together in Badalona on a December 1987's evening to found the team. They were Pere Moliner, first ...
in a tough game and clinched a berth again for the EFL in 2010, where they met
Bergamo Lions (Italy) and the
Elancourt Templiers (France) in their group, which they won. In the Quarterfinals they lost 55–13 against the title holder
Swarco Raiders Tirol.
From 2014 to 2016 they made the national final three times in a row winning the title in 2015.
Honours
*
Spanish League (4):
2006,
2007,
2009,
2015
References
External links
*
{{LNFA
American football teams in Spain
Sport in Valencia
1993 establishments in Spain
American football teams established in 1993
Sports teams in the Valencian Community