Unlike in England, reserve teams in Spain play in the same football pyramid as their senior team rather than a separate league. However, reserve teams cannot play in the same division as their senior team. Therefore, the team is ineligible for promotion to La Liga, the division in which the main side plays. Reserve teams are also no longer permitted to enter the Copa del Rey.
The team is officially known as Valencia CF Mestalla on the club's official promotion and website, but Professional Football League rules prohibit B teams from having different names to their parent.
History
Founded in 1944 as Club Deportivo Mestalla, an independent club, Valencia B managed to play in more than 20 second division seasons from 1947 to 1973. In the 1951–52 campaign, the team finished in a best-ever second position in the league, but was ineligible for La Liga promotion as the first team was also playing in that category.
In the following decades, Valencia B – who merged with the Che organization in 1991 – played mainly in the fourth level, but also appeared 16 times in the third, eight of those consecutive (1992–2000), with three appearances in the promotion playoffs.
Amadeo Salvo
