Alavés Football Club (known as Deportivo Alavés FC), founded in January 1921, is a professional football club based in Álava, Basque Country, Spain. The club was initially founded in 1920 as "Sports Friends Club," but was renamed "Alavés Sports Club" on January 23, 1921, a date considered the club's official founding. Alavés was the first club to be promoted from the Second Division to La Liga in the 1929-30 season. In its first season in the top division, Alavés finished 8th out of 10 teams, just 1 point from relegation. The club is considered the third most successful team in the Basque Country, after Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad.
Alavés was the first club to be promoted from the second division to La Liga in the 1929-30 season. In its first season in the first division, Alavés finished 8th out of 10 teams, just 1 point away from relegation. The club is widely considered the third most successful team in the Basque Country, after Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad.
In the 1973-74 season, the team was promoted to the Segunda División and competed in the league for over 20 years. In the 1997-98 season, they won the Segunda División championship, earning promotion to La Liga. After 42 years, the team returned to the top division of Spanish football. In the 2000-01 season, the team performed well, finishing tenth in the league and reaching the UEFA Cup final, creating a historic moment. In the 2021-22 season, they defeated Levante 1-0 in the promotion playoff final of the Segunda División, successfully earning promotion again, and returned to the La Liga stage in the 2023-24 season.