Colour in the Deportivo Alavés logo for free

About this drawing

Every March, American sports fans fall for a Cinderella team, and the Deportivo Alaves crest has a Cinderella tale of its own. In May 2001 this small club from northern Spain reached a major European final in Dortmund, Germany. It had little international experience, and it faced a famous English opponent. Thousands of fans made the long trip by bus.

The game turned into a classic. Alaves fell behind early, fought back more than once and tied the score late in regulation. It went to overtime, and it ended 5-4 on an own goal, a heartbreaking way to lose. The players still came home as heroes. Locals talk about that night the way a college town remembers its one great tournament run, with a mix of pride and what might have been.

As the emblem tells you, the club dates to 1921. Its name comes from Alava, one of the three provinces of the Basque Country, and the team plays in the provincial capital, Vitoria-Gasteiz, a green city with a well-preserved medieval center. Home games are at Mendizorroza, a stadium that goes back to the 1920s and has kept a friendly, neighborhood feel. The team wears blue and white, and fans sometimes call it El Glorioso, the Glorious One, a name that goes back to its early years.

• soccer
• team crests
• spain
• flags