An Emotional Afternoon at Ciutat Commemorating the 20th Anniversary of the Preciado Ascenso
Yesterday, in the press room of Ciutat de Valencia, a new edition of the Portal de Vallejo was held, organized by the Historia Levante forum, to commemorate the promotion to La Liga in June 2004. The event was filled with emotions and remains a symbolic and epic milestone for a generation of Levante fans, even 20 years later.
They say that as long as the memory endures, the events that took place will live on, and the events of the 2003-2004 season remain very present, despite 20 years having passed since that symbolic and epic Preciado Ascenso for a generation of Levante fans who had grown up amidst uncertainty, anxiety, and fear for a present and future marked by unease.
Portal de Vallejo featured the presence of Tito and Mora, two members of the 2003-2004 Levante squad that achieved promotion as Segunda División champions. Emilio Nadal, head of Levante's Historical Heritage Area, moderated the talk. Tito and Mora relived a past that is still very much alive, highlighting how that experience marked them both sportingly and personally. Both, after joining Levante for the exciting 2003-2004 season, settled in Valencia.
Tito shared that his signing with Levante in the summer of 2003 transformed his life. Just a few months earlier, he had achieved promotion to La Liga with Real Murcia and, having crossed the thirty-year mark, he imagined his future tied to Murcia. However, Levante's call radically changed his plans. He discovered a new home in the club and the city, a place that would change his life forever. Mora also shared a similar story, emphasizing how his arrival at Levante and subsequent life in Valencia were turning points in his career and personal life.
Both players reminisced about Levante in the early years of the new millennium and the figure of Manuel Preciado, the coach who left an indelible mark on the team. They recalled anecdotes, such as the mandatory dinners organized by Preciado and the shin guard training sessions designed by the coach to simulate the intensity of official matches as closely as possible. "Manuel Preciado was a regular guy, as he used to say himself," Tito said, evoking his image. "He was a very normal guy, and that's hard to find in football," Mora added.
Tito relived a conversation with Preciado during the preseason in Biescas. "It's prescribed, so I can tell it," he noted with a smile on his lips. In that conclave, the coach assured him that he would be a starter if he maintained the level shown the previous season at Murcia. The protagonists' memories projected the image of that Levante that returned to the elite 40 years after the only previous occasion. Rivera, Aganzo, Reggi, Alexis, Jesule, Sérvulo... the members of that team that made history appeared in the press room of Ciutat through the midfielder's and goalkeeper's recollections. "We had a great team," Tito confirmed at various points during the event. Pedro Villarroel, as the main shareholder of that Levante, emerged and had his share of prominence.
It was an afternoon of emotions and memories. It's clear that the promotion in June 2004 seems to perpetuate itself due to its sporting and symbolic significance. The event allowed reflection on an achievement that, two decades later, remains alive in Levante's history. This promotion not only marked a golden era for the club but also transformed the lives of those who were part of that unforgettable team.
