Levante UD completes the return of its founder José Ballester Gozalvo

This week, Levante UD has taken a historic step in recovering its foundational memory. A delegation from the club traveled to Villiers-Adam, a French town near Paris, to exhume the remains of José Ballester Gozalvo and Teresa Molins Gausach, the founder of Levante FC in 1909 and his wife. The transfer of their remains to Valencia fulfills Ballester's expressed wish to one day return to Cabanyal, his hometown.

On Sunday, August 31, the Levante UD expedition —composed of historian Felip Bens, IES José Ballester Gozalvo professors Paco Santamans and Irene Alcolea, the club's Director of Communication and External Relations, Puri Naya, historian José Ricardo March, Paris-based history professor Patrice Redondo, and representatives of the Delegation of Supporters such as Ramón Escolano and Vicente Garriga— toured key locations in the lives of Ballester and Molins in Paris.

Guided by the historians' notes and the route designed by Santamans and Alcolea, they visited emblematic places such as the Grand Lodge of France, the Opéra Garnier, the Quillet Publishing House —where Ballester worked during his exile—, the Ibero-American Athenaeum, the French National Assembly (where he served as director of the Spanish section of the library), and his former residence. During the tour, several pieces from the Tereseta choir, created by Irene and Paco at the IES José Ballester Gozalvo, a school named after the founder, were performed, adding an emotional and cultural dimension to the tribute.

Villiers-Adam: Reconnecting with the Land

On Monday, September 1, the delegation went to the Villiers-Adam Town Hall, where a Valencian flag was displayed on its facade, and they were received by Mayor Bruno Mace and Deputy Ayda Hadizadeh, representative of the Val-d'Oise in the French National Assembly. Puri Naya presented them with a Levante UD first-team jersey with the name Villiers-Adam on the back, and Felip Bens gifted them a copy of “In Exile”, a work by José Ballester (published in Montpellier in 1945) and reissued by Llibres de la Drassana in 2021 (currently available at the Tenda Granota). During an institutional breakfast, they shared impressions about the legacy of Ballester and Molins, their political, educational, and cultural contributions, and the significance of their return to Valencia.

Later, they went to the local cemetery, where they unveiled a commemorative plaque at the entrance, marking the spot where the couple's remains had rested since 1970. The exhumation ceremony was deeply symbolic: the two original flags that accompanied the grave were replaced with new ones, and the sack of soil from Cabanyal with which they were buried was recovered. Felip Bens delivered a tribute speech, while Irene and Paco performed a piece from the Tereseta choir. A rose was also placed on the grave of Aristide Quillet (1880-1955), in recognition of those who provided protection and work to Ballester during his exile.

Deputy Ayda Hadizadeh invited the delegation to visit the French National Assembly, where Ballester played a significant role as director of the Spanish section of the library. After this visit, the expedition returned to Valencia with the couple's remains, thus closing a chapter in the club's history that had been waiting for over half a century to be written.

Tribute at the Ciutat de València

On Saturday, September 6, the Ciutat de València Stadium will host the tribute event with the installation of a funeral chapel in the Llotja VIP L’Alqueria, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. At 12 p.m., an institutional event open to the public will take place, with the participation of authorities, representatives from the cultural and sports world, family members, and fans. In the afternoon, the burial will take place privately at the Cabanyal cemetery, where Ballester and Molins will rest alongside his parents, Vicente Ballester and Enriqueta Gozalvo.

Confirmed attendees for the event so far include the honorary consul of France in Valencia and Castellón, Karin Nylund, the vice president of the Provincial Council, Natàlia Enguix, the Director General of Sports, Luis Cervera, the Councilor for Culture and Heritage of Valencia, José Luis Moreno, as well as representatives from municipal groups of the City Council and les Corts; and the president of the Valencian Football Federation, Salva Gomar, among others. Mayor Bruno Mace of Villiers-Adam, family members, and anyone wishing to pay tribute to the founder and his wife will also be able to visit the funeral chapel from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

A Recovered Legacy

The recovery of the remains of José Ballester and Teresa Molins has been made possible thanks to a grant awarded by the Provincial Council of Valencia to the “Cent Anys” Foundation of Levante UD, which the club has promoted.

José Ballester Gozalvo was a key figure in the history of Valencian football, as well as an educator, writer, lawyer, and committed politician. He spent his final years in Roissy-en-Brie, near Paris, where he also passed away. Together with Teresa Molins Gausach, his life companion, they will now rest by the Mediterranean that saw their birth and alongside the club he helped to found, always upholding values of culture, social justice, and commitment. Ballester was the founder of Levante FC, which later merged with Gimnástico FC, created by Amador Sanchis, to form what is now Levante UD.

With this gesture, Levante UD reaffirms its commitment to memory and to those who are part of its history. The club has done everything possible to fulfill the wish of its founder, José Ballester, to return to Cabanyal. As it has demonstrated on other occasions, Levante always stands with its own: with those who founded it, with those who helped it grow, and with those who feel it as part of their lives. This action closes a pending chapter and recovers a key figure who, for too long, remained forgotten.