Special guests from Tanzania, Israel and Bulgaria live it up with Levante

The events of 13 May 2018 will never be forgotten in Valencia. This will forever be remembered as the day when Levante UD secured a result for the ages by overcoming FC Barcelona 5-4, condemning Los Azulgranas to their first LaLiga Santander defeat of the 2017/18 season and ending a winless run against the Catalans in the league that stretched all the way back to 1964.

However, Levante also made history off the pitch over the weekend, hosting the LaLiga Santander Experience for the very first time by welcoming six subscribers and reporters courtesy of Azam, ONE and Bulsatcom, LaLiga's official broadcasters in Tanzania, Israel and Bulgaria respectively. Also in tow were two Tanzanian cultural figures in the shape of the actor Jacob Stephen and the hip-hop artist Mwana FA, who both chronicled the adventure on social media.

The group's time in Spain began with a bang when they watched the Granotes train ahead of the big match against Barça. After this unbeatable start to their stay in Valencia, the travelling party got to know the city itself, being whisked off on a guided tour taking in all the top sights. They were also treated to a tour of the Ciutat de Valencia Stadium, where they were presented with a Levante shirt with their names on the back.

The best was yet to come. On Sunday, the LaLiga Santander Experience expedition were met at the stadium by former Levante goalkeeper Juan Luis Mora, before getting to watch the players arrive at the ground and then witnessing the pre-match warm-up from pitchside. Then came kick-off and the rest is now LaLiga Santander history: a nine-goal thriller – featuring two hat-tricks, one apiece for Emmanuel Boateng and Philippe Coutinho – that was played out amid a rocking atmosphere in the stands. In short, a shining example of what the best league in the world has to offer.

After the game, the Azam, ONE and Bulsatcom journalists headed to the Ciutat de Valencia mixed zone to discover the ins and outs involved in live coverage of such occasions. They were present to hear Levante captain and top scorer Jose Luis Morales wax lyrical about the LaLiga Santander Experience, which has raised the club's profile in such far-flung places as Tanzania, Israel and Bulgaria.