Deportivo Alavés, S.A.D. (Spanish pronunciation: [depoɾˈtiβo alaˈβes]; Sporting Alavés), usually known as Alavés, is a Spanish football club based in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Álava, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. Founded on 23 January 1921 as Sport Friends Club, the club competes in La Liga, the top flight of Spanish football.
It is recognized as the third-most successful team in the Basque Country following Athletic Club of Bilbao and Real Sociedad of San Sebastián. Its biggest success was in 2001 when, in the year of its debut in European competition, it reached the 2001 UEFA Cup Final, where it played against Liverpool. It was defeated 5–4 on a golden goal. In 2017, the club reached the final of the Copa del Rey, losing 3–1 to Barcelona.
The team's home kit is blue and white-striped shirt, blue shorts and white socks. It holds home matches at the 19,840-seater Mendizorrotza Stadium and uses other facilities located in Ibaia dedicated to training.
Contents
History
Founded in 1920, the initial name of the club was Sport Friends, but on 23 January 1921 the name was changed to the current one, and this is considered the official foundation date. Alavés was the first club to win promotion from the Segunda División to La Liga in 1929–30, a stint which would last three years. In its first season in Primera División Alavés finished 8th from 10 teams, just 1 point away from being relegated.
In 1953–54 the club would reach the top league again for a two-year spell. With Roman Galarraga as a coach, the club won a long-awaited promotion to Segunda División in the 1973–74 season. In June 1983, after having avoided relegation in the previous season, Alavés went down to Segunda División B, where it remained until the 1985–86 campaign. After years of seriously facing disappearance which lasted well into the 1990s (playing in the fourth tier during the late 1980s), Alavés finally achieved a promotion back into the Segunda División in 1994–95 after two consecutive years of winning their group in Segunda División B – created as the new third level in 1977 – but failing in the promotion play-offs.
After winning the Segunda División in 1997–98, Alavés returned to the top level after a 42-year hiatus. Following their return season in which they escaped relegation by a single point, they achieved two wins against Barcelona in the following campaign and would qualify for the UEFA Cup for the first time upon finishing sixth (to date, their highest-ever placing, coming just 12 years after their lowest-ever: eighth in their group in the fourth level).
As well as concluding the domestic campaign in tenth position, in 2000–01 the Basque club reached the final of the UEFA Cup after beating Internazionale, Rayo Vallecano and 1. FC Kaiserslautern, the latter in a crushing 9–2 aggregate victory. The final ended in a 4–5 loss against Liverpool, Alavés losing to an "own-golden goal" after taking the match to extra time. The match also featured two red cards and two disallowed goals in extra time in addition to the nine goals which did count, and has been described by some observers as one of the greatest showpiece games in the competition's history.
Alavés ended 2001–02 in seventh position and qualified for the UEFA Cup for a second time, although the European campaign of 2002–03 was far less successful than two years earlier, with an opening win over Ankaragücü followed by a defeat to another Turkish Süper Lig side, Beşiktaş. On 26 January 2003, the club celebrated their 100th win in La Liga after defeating Real Valladolid 3–1.
Seasons
Season to season
21 seasons in La Liga
38 seasons in Segunda División
12 seasons in Segunda División B
22 seasons in Tercera División
1 season in Categorías Regionales
Players
Current squad
As of 3 September 2026
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Reserve team
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Kits
The team wore kits from the Danish brand Hummel for several seasons. In the 2017–18 season, they started wearing new kits from Kelme. They had an agreement with Kelme until 2022. That same year, the team signed a new agreement with the German company Puma for four seasons.
For the launch of the new brand, they choose to bring back the traditional vertical stripes and keep the original black pants.
Symbols
Deportivo Alavés has changed its crest several times since it was founded in 1921. The first crest looked very similar to the official coat of arms of the Álava province. However, instead of a sword-wielding arm, the team's crest featured a blue and white pennant. At the top of the crest was a medallion with the initials "DA".
In 1922, the crest was simplified to just a pennant. The pennant was white with a blue center stripe and had the team initials "DA" in a square at the top left corner. This design stayed until 1950, but the initials changed when the team was renamed Club Deportivo Alavés. In 1950, the team redesigned its crest to look more like the traditional Álava symbol. They brought back the castle and lion, and also added a sword. The "C.D.A." pennant was moved behind the castle, and the whole design was placed within a circle with a crown on top.
Honours
Domestic competitions
Copa del Rey
Runners-up: 2016–17
Segunda División
Winners (4): 1929–30, 1953–54, 1997–98, 2015–16
Segunda División play-offs
Winners (1): 2023
Segunda División B
Winners (4): 1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95, 2012–13
Copa Federación de España
Winners: 1945–46
Tercera División
Winners (5): 1940–41, 1960–61, 1964–65, 1967–68, 1973–74
Winners: 1989–90
Regional Championship
Biscay Championship: 1929–30
Gipuzkoa Championship: 1938–39
European competitions
UEFA Cup
Runners-up: 2000–01
Stadium information
Name – Mendizorrotza
City – Vitoria-Gasteiz
Capacity – 19,840
Inauguration – 1924
Pitch size – 105 m x 67 m
Other facilities – El Glorioso and José Luis Compañón
Famous players
World Cup players
The following players have been selected by their country in the World Cup, while playing for Alavés.
Affiliated clubs
Alavés B/C
The club's primary reserve team is Deportivo Alavés B, founded in 1960 and currently playing at the amateur Tercera División level of the senior Spanish system. When that team gained promotion to Segunda División B in 2000, a further reserve side Deportivo Alavés C was formed, later partnering with local team Club San Ignacio, but the C-team was discontinued in 2005 due to the poor financial situation at the club. San Ignacio and most other teams in the vicinity of Vitoria-Gasteiz continue to operate as partner clubs of Alavés.
California Victory
In 2007, Alavés operated a team in the USL First Division in the United States called the California Victory. The team played at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco, California, and wore the Alavés colors. However, Alavés, under new ownership, pulled its support for the club later that year, after which the Victory folded.
NK Rudeš
In May 2017, Alavés signed a ten-year partnership deal with NK Rudeš, freshly promoted Croatian First Football League club, with Rudeš acting as a feeder club to Alavés.
In June 2018, Deportivo Alavés and NK Rudeš ended its partnership agreement.
Sochaux
In April 2018, Alavés signed an agreement with French club FC Sochaux-Montbéliard; however the partnership lasted only a few months, ending abruptly in December of the same year.
NK Istra 1961
In June 2018 Alavés took a controlling interest in another Croatian top-tier club, NK Istra 1961, a few weeks after ending their agreement with Rudeš.