Football games involving Valencia, Levante postponed after deadly fire in eastern Spain

The fire engulfed two residential towers in Valencia on Thursday night. Authorities have reported four confirmed deaths and that 14 people are still missing.

Firefighters work inside a burned block building in Valencia, Spain, on Friday. | Photo Credit: AP

Football games involving Valencia and Levante have been postponed after both clubs requested not to play in the immediate aftermath of a deadly fire in the eastern Spanish city of Valencia, La Liga said on Friday.

The fire engulfed two residential towers in Valencia on Thursday night. Authorities have reported four confirmed deaths and that 14 people are still missing.

Valencia was scheduled to visit Granada in La Liga on Saturday, the same day Levante was set to host Andorra in the second division. The league has yet to announce new dates for the games.

At the request of the clubs we can confirm the postponement of: @GranadaCF - @valenciacf@LevanteUD - @fcandorra

The suspensions come in addition to the minute's silence which will be observed at all other matches as a mark of respect to the victims of the fire in Valencia.… pic.twitter.com/dalymFQr6s

— LALIGA Corporativo (@LaLigaCorp) February 23, 2024

The league said that the two Valencia-based clubs had requested the postponement “due to the dramatic fire that took place yesterday in Valencia that claimed human lives.”

The league said that a minute of silence will be held before all the first- and second-division games this weekend in memory of the victims.

Also, the Spanish football federation said a minute of silence will be held before Spain’s Women’s Nations League semifinal match against the Netherlands in Seville on Friday.

The Valencia regional government declared three days of mourning.