Color in the Valencia Football Club logo for free

About this drawing

Yes, that really is a bat on the Valencia CF logo, and it was here long before any comic book hero. The animal has been a symbol of the city for centuries, and it sits on the municipal coat of arms too. Locals call it a rat penat in Valencian, the language spoken in this part of eastern Spain.

The usual explanation is a legend. In the 1200s King James I of Aragon marched on Valencia to take it from Muslim rule. As the tale goes, a bat landed on his tent or his ship's mast, and he took it as a sign of good fortune. Historians can't prove any of it, but the story stuck, and the bat became part of how the city sees itself.

The club was founded in 1919 and moved to Mestalla in 1923. It is known for very steep stands that put fans right on top of the action, so noise bounces down onto the field. The stripes on the emblem echo the regional flag, and the leather ball is a throwback to early soccer. Valencia also has a proud trophy case, with several league titles and a golden stretch in the early 2000s. It seems fitting that a night hunter watches over the crest, since evening kickoffs in warm Mediterranean weather are a big part of the local tradition.

• soccer
• team crests
• spain
• bats