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For as long as anyone can remember, Valencia has been the quintessential "almost there" of Spanish football.
In the recent past, the La Liga has been dominated by the proverbial 'big three': Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Atletico Madrid. Among them, the three behemoths of Spanish football have won 17 of the 19 contested league titles since the turn of the century.
The other two have been won by Valencia. Their last title victory, however, came a long time ago in the 2003-04 season. The club has had to sell most of their talented prospects just to stay financially afloat.
It cannot be said that the quality of their players has dropped. They are, after all, a nearly perennial top four side, and a regular in the Champions League. They have also fared very well this season in the European competition, edging Ajax to the knockout stages on the back of the likes of Rodrigo Moreno, Carlos Soler, and Goncalo Guedes.
Over the years, Los Che has unearthed quite a few gems, who have gone on to make a mark on football history all over the world. As a result, they have arguably one of the best "could have been" starting XI's you will ever see. A team of this calibre would be able to give the best teams in the world a real run for their money.
A brief look into history will give you a fair idea of Valencia's ability to churn out attacking talent. Players of the ilk of David Villa, who recently announced his retirement, have spent a majority of their formative years at the club, and have gone on to become modern-day legends of the game.
To restrict the player pool, this article looks only at players who are currently active in professional football.
Valencia has had a host of brilliant attacking midfield talent, and to accommodate all their creative and technical ability, a 4-2-3-1 formation is the ideal choice.
Before we move on to the players who have made the cut, a look at the quality of some of the exceptional players who have been left out you a fair idea of the strength of this side.
Honourable mentions - Roberto Soldado (Granada CF), Juan Bernat (Paris Saint-Germain), Nicolas Otamendi (Manchester City)
Goalkeeper - Neto (Barcelona)
The summer of 2019 saw Valencia's Brazilian goalkeeper Neto trade places with Barcelona's Jasper Cillessen, in a transfer that seemed to benefit both parties.
Neto was a crucial component of Valencia's 2018-19 season, where they managed to finish fourth in the league after a poor start to the season. The Brazilian joined Valencia from Juventus in 2017 and went on to establish himself as the first-choice keeper at Valencia.
Over the better part of two seasons, Neto put in wonderful performances and proved his credentials as an expert shot-stopper as Valencia regularly finished in the top four. Promising performances against the likes of Barcelona, Sevilla, and Atletico Madrid earned him a reputation as one of the better keepers in the league.
While Cillessen is a brilliant goalkeeper in his own right, Neto proved that he could easily hold his own in any starting eleven, and makes it to this one, holding out competition from the likes of Diego Alves and Vicente Guaita.
Center-back - Raul Albiol (Villarreal)
Raul Albiol emerged through Valencia's youth system as a promising centre-back. He made his debut at Getafe CF while on loan from Valencia, but returned to his home club the following season to take his place in the first team.
A versatile defender with technical ability and a distinct aerial prowess, Albiol could also play at right-back or in defensive midfield but was primarily used as a centre-back by Valencia before his move to Spanish giants Real Madrid in 2009.
Albiol spent a large part of his time at Real Madrid playing second fiddle to Pepe and Sergio Ramos. A move to Italy saw Albiol come into his own, as he flourished under Maurizio Sarri's tutelage at Napoli. Post Sarri's departure, Albiol secured a move to Villarreal in 2019.
Albiol also has 56 caps for his national team Spain. The presence of Carles Puyol, Gerard Pique, and Sergio Ramos confined Albiol to the bench for a large part of his international career, but he has always proved to be a solid choice at the heart of the defence.
Center-back - Jeremy Mathieu (Sporting Lisbon)
Taking up the other centre-back slot is French defender Jeremy Mathieu, who joined Valencia from Ligue 1 club, Toulouse, in 2009. Mathieu was then manager Unai Emery's first signing at the helm of Valencia and was brought in primarily to play as a left-back.
While Mathieu did spend a large part of his time at Valencia on the left flank, his defensive awareness and ability on the ball made it clear to the keen eye that he had the skills required to play in the centre of defence. He was used on occasion by Emery as a makeshift central defender and went on to make the position his own.
His technical ability and aerial prowess caught the eye of FC Barcelona, who signed him in 2014 to add steel to an already established pairing of Gerard Pique and Javier Mascherano. Mathieu did very well for himself in his first season at Barcelona, winning the treble with the Catalans.
Mathieu left Barcelona in 2017 in search of more playing time and joined Sporting Lisbon on a free transfer.
Left-Back - Jordi Alba
Clinching the left-back spot is Jordi Alba, nicknamed El Ferrari, and for good reason.
The Spanish left-back rose through the ranks a Barcelona's La Masia youth academy as a winger and moved to Valencia to complete his footballing education. He made his debut for Los Che in the 2009-10 season, at 20 years of age.
Exemplary and consistent performances in the Valencia shirt saw Jordi Alba picked as the first-choice left-back for Spain's Euro 2012 campaign. The competition proved to be a turning point in Alba's career.
The left-back was unplayable through the competition, using his electric pace to devastating effect. He scored a famous goal on the counter in the final against Italy, outrunning every other outfield player on the pitch to latch on to Xavi's pass and score Spain's second goal.
His performances for club and country in 2012 did not go unnoticed and Barcelona paid a bargain price of €14 million to secure his services. Alba has since gone on to etch himself into Catalan football history, winning the treble with Barcelona in the 2014-15 season, in addition to forming a telepathic relationship with the club's talisman, Lionel Messi.
Right-back - Joao Cancelo
Adding to the list of speedy full-backs who have played for Valencia is Joao Cancelo, a Portuguese right-back who came through Benfica's youth academy and joined Valencia on loan in 2014.
Cancelo spent a large part of the season as a second choice full-back behind Antonio Barragan but impressed whenever he was given the chance. Valencia made the move permanent in 2015, and Cancelo hasn't looked back ever since.
Impressive performances in Spain caught the eye of Italian champions Juventus, who signed him in 2018.
In 2019, Pep Guardiola signed the Portuguese right-back for Manchester City from Juventus in exchange for Danilo, in a deal worth £60 million, making Cancelo the most valuable right-back in history.
Center-midfield - Andre Gomes (Everton)
The second Portuguese player on this list, Andre Gomes also made his way through the ranks at Benfica's youth academy, joining Valencia on a one-year loan deal in 2014, and making the move permanent a year later.
In his two years at Valencia, Gomes established himself as a world-class midfielder, dropping deep to collect the ball and organizing the side with consummate ease. Valencia's open and expansive style of play allowed him to make piercing runs into opposition territory, dismantling the opposition's formations with devastating effect.
His passing ability caught the eye of FC Barcelona, and he was signed by Luis Enrique in 2016 to ease the workload on an ageing Sergio Busquets and Ivan Rakitic.
All did not go as planned for Gomes at the Nou Camp, as he was unable to adapt to Barcelona's style of play and their movement on and off the ball in tight spaces.
Consequently, the Portuguese joined Everton in 2018 on a season-long loan spell, and was impressive in the Toffees' midfield, taking up central positions in the field and dictating play. Gomes signed a five-year contract with Everton in 2019.
Center-Midfield - Ever Banega (Sevilla)
Completing our double-pivot in the centre of midfield is Ever Banega, who spent his youth career at Boca Juniors, playing in multiple positions in the midfield.
His versatility and work-rate allowed him to take up both defensive and offensive responsibilities, and he secured a move to Valencia in 2008.
A packed midfield at the club meant that Banega moved to Atletico Madrid on loan in search of greener pastures. He returned to club the following year to take his place in the first team and was a considerable presence in midfield till his departure to Seville in 2014.
Banega went on to become a mainstay in Sevilla's midfield under Unai Emery, guiding them to an unprecedented Europa League triumph. He also played for Inter Milan for a couple of seasons, but was not happy with his bit-part role and returned to Sevilla in 2017.
Banega has been a stalwart for both his club sides and Argentina over the years and edges out the likes of Andres Guardado to take his place in this side.
Left-Midfield - David Silva (Manchester City)
Fondly known as 'Merlin' in England, Manchester City captain David Silva was working his magic and befuddling defences much before he made the move to the Etihad in the summer of 2010.
A product of Valencia's youth system, Silva spent six years with the club, carving out a place in Los Che's attacking midfield and making them a force to reckon with. Silva transformed into the player we know today in the 2009-10 season, forming a lethal partnership with David Villa to power Valencia to a third-place finish.
Silva was one of the first signings in Manchester City's new-look squad and played a leading role as a winger and trequartista in Manuel Pellegrini's side.
The Spaniard has gone on to become even better under Pep Guardiola and is widely regarded as one of the best signings in Manchester City's history.
Right-Midfield - Juan Mata (Manchester United)
The Valencia of 2009-10 was one of the most creative sides in a league boasting the likes of Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta, and it is evident why. The club's most talented playmakers seemed to play for the club at roughly the same time and were of the same nationality as well.
Juan Mata emerged through Real Madrid's youth structure and played one season for their B team, Castilla. An almost impossible route to the first team in Madrid meant that Mata had to look elsewhere for playing time and Valencia seemed the ideal fit.
Mata excelled in his role at Valencia, generally playing in creative midfield or either flank. He was also occasionally used as a support striker behind David Villa. The 2010 season proved to be highly productive for the young Spaniard, with tallies of 11 goals and 13 assists making it exceedingly evident that Mata was a talent to look out for.
Mata made the switch to the Premier League in 2011, joining compatriot Fernando Torres at Chelsea. He is currently still in the Premier League, playing for Manchester United.
Center-Attacking Midfield - Isco (Real Madrid)
Isco, currently playing for Real Madrid, completes our incredible trifecta of attacking talent in Valencia's highly creative midfield.
While compatriots David Silva and Juan Mata were running the show for Valencia in 2009, Isco was still in Valencia's reserve team. He made his first appearance for the senior side in 2010, sharing his debut with Paco Alcacer.
Isco went on to sign a five-year contract with Malaga and played a starring role in their Champions League campaign in the 2012-13 season. His exploits that season handed him the coveted 'Golden Boy' award.
Unfortunately, Valencia missed out on playing their three maestros in the same game by only a season, as Isco was promoted to Valencia's senior side only after David Silva had departed to Manchester City. A midfield such as this would have surely given Spain's behemoths a run for their money.
Striker - Paco Alcacer (Borussia Dortmund)
Over the years, Valencia has discovered an amazing array of goal-scoring talent to complement their creative midfielders. Since David Villa's departure to Barcelona, several brilliant forwards such as Roberto Soldado and Aritz Aduriz have staked their claim to his throne at Valencia.
Like many other players on this list, Paco Alcacer is a product of Valencia's incredible production line of homegrown Spanish talents, finding his way through the club's youth teams before making his senior debut in 2010.
The Spaniard had to wait for a long time to cement his place in the first team and was able to definitively do so only after Roberto Soldado departed to the Premier League. Once he became a regular, however, it was only a matter of time before his natural game came to the fore.
Much like his predecessors at Valencia, Paco Alcacer is a poacher, relying on positioning and an impeccable shooting technique to plunder the opposition's goal. The 2013-14 season set the stage for the young striker to announce himself, and he did so with aplomb, leading Los Che to the Europa League semifinals with a hat-trick against Red Bull Salzburg, overturning a 3-0 deficit in the first leg.
Barcelona eventually came knocking on his door in 2016, and Alcacer made the switch, serving as an able back-up option. However, with Messi, Suarez, and Neymar in the way, he found playing time very hard to come by and moved to Borussia Dortmund in 2018.
Alcacer's underwent an incredible renaissance with the Germans and rediscovered his 'fox in the box' ability at Dortmund. Regularly used as a "super-sub", Alcacer inspired several comeback victories. He scored twice as a substitute in Dortmund's 4-2 victory against Bayer Leverkusen and wrote himself into the club's history in his very first season by scoring an incredible hat-trick in a 4-3 victory against Augsburg, which included a stoppage-time free-kick.
One can only wonder what Alcacer could have achieved with Silva, Mata, and Isco behind him.
