The doors of Mendizorroza keep the history of Deportivo Alavés tattooed in paint and memories. A museum of the intense life of a club that turns 100 today. The Paseo de Cervantes, with the traces of generations of fans, still marked, marks the path to the Albiazul house since its inauguration on April 27, 1924 -the eve of San Prudencio-. Three years earlier, on January 23, 1921 Sports Friend’s mutated into Deportivo Alavés under the tutelage of Hilario Dorado and Amadeo García de Salazar, uniting football with Vitoria-Gasteiz and Álava forever
The ball began to roll in Mendi and the Glorious, nickname that accompanies Alavés since in 1930 they became the first team to go up to the First Division, they entered the elite with Olivares, Lecue, Antero, Modesto, and the insurmountable and eternal defensive couple formed by Ciriaco and Quincoces in their ranks.
An initial milestone that lasted three years within an adventure in which they were locked in the elevator too many times. In the 1970-71 academic year, Alaves celebrated its golden anniversary in Regional. And 50 years of ups and downs later, after triumphing in all categories, he looks to his future from LaLiga. Albiazul survival Many times Alavés brushed the abyss of disappearance – the last after the passage through Vitoria of a Piterman that left a financial hole and bankruptcy that almost mortally wounded the entity – like so many others it overcame the blow by rising with more force.
All without losing neither the blue nor the white of the stripes on his shirt – the exceptions were the Pink Team that toured the old continent with the name of its subscribers and the elastic Boca style of the 2001 UEFA final – nor to a hobby – its greatest asset – that grew more in Second B than in Dortmund, when it was awarded the Best in Europe.
The grandparents who savored the flavor of Primera between 1954 and 1956, vibrating with Valencia 7-0 and encouraging Ibarra, Erezuma Gorospe Echeandia Berasaluce, and a Primi who dried Di Stefano with a marking that recalled each Once La Saeta visited their bar they introduced the young people who grew up in the General to the Albiazul faith. The epicenter of the babazorro support in which captain Manu Garcia discovered Alavesismo before jumping the fence and enjoying it from the other side.
A sanctuary transplanted to the back of the Polideportivo with Iraultza when Mendizorroza modernized saying goodbye to Donato scoreboard. Renowned footballers The Second Barcelona of Valdano Badiola Alexanco Morgado Senor, Eloy, Salamanca which he did not get The assault on Primera in the 70s, challenged the Catalans in the quarterfinals of the 1978 Cup.
It is about you to Cruyff Johan replied to a young Valdano who reproached him for not releasing the ball during the return leg in the Camp Nou. In the first leg, Barca had fallen (1-0) on the mud. Why don’t you take that ball home and give us another one to keep playing? He said.
An anecdote in decades of renowned homegrown players -Valverde, Zubizarreta …- and disappointments on the pitch. Puskas sat on the Albiazul bench in 1969. He did it as technical secretary, lacking a degree. Leaves dropped to Third in a year marked by the death of Sarasola.
A shock like the administrative relegation of 1986 that pushed the club to the limit. A punishment in Third that ended four years later in Elgoibar with Roth, Feijoo, Txosa … And the toll of five promotion playoffs was charged in 1995 in Jaén returning to Second with ‘Txutxi’ Aranguren, Lasheras, Castillejo, Arregi …
The work of Juan Arregui and Gonzalo Anton in the offices, with Jose Luis Compañón present, broke the erratic march of the club. Serrano, Codina, Karmona, Desio, Téllez, Pablo, Javi Moreno … with Mane as a strategist, they defied logic reaching the semifinals of the Cup in 1998 after eliminating four Firsts in two games
Madrid and Depor included and returning 42 years later Alaves to Primera on a rainy afternoon against Rayo. The Plaza de la Virgen Blanca was once again stained with albiazul Dortmund and El Calderon The heroes of the promotion were joined by Ivan Alonso, Astudillo, Magno, Herrera Contra to finish sixth in 2000 and reach the UEFA final in 2001 To meet Liverpool, Alaves fell to Inter, Kaiserslautern.
Celedon went down in Dortmund before thousands of Victorians before challenging the ‘reds’. They equaled Owen, Heskey, Gerrard 3-1 … forcing extra time with Jordi Cruyff’s 4-4 in 89 . They resisted two expulsions until Geli on his own, made the final 5-4. A cruel golden goal on an epic night. A dream that turned into a nightmare with Piterman. Going up to First in 2005 was a curse. The comeback (3-2) in the added against Real in 2008, with the fans invading the pitch after Toni Moral’s goal and the subsequent pilgrimage towards permanence in Vigo was the prelude to relegation.
Second B served as catharsis. The arrival of the Baskonia Group, headed by Josean Querejeta, in 2011, with a strong commitment and institutional support, stabilized a club that returned to Second Division in 2013 with Natxo Gonzalez, Beobide, Viguera … against a Jaen that was talisman: in 2014, Guzman signed in 93 ‘agonizing salvation in La Victoria (2-3). A meteoric rise
With Manu Garcia in each photo, which returned Alaves to First a decade later in 2016 at the hands of Bordalas. And in 2017, with Pacheco, Laguardia, Ibai, Llorente … and Pellegrino from DT, they reached the Cup final. The sons of Dortmund took the Calderón and jumped with Theo’s goal. But Messi’s Barça was too much (3-1).
Another postcard of an Alaves that resists in Primera without the heat of its stands. The coronavirus has brought silence to Mendizorroza. But the ‘Bravo Albiazul Team from Donnay’s anthem will play again and Izal’s Alta la Frente will have its public premiere. Alaves and their fans always resurface. Glorious.
