2020 Copa del Rey Final

The 2020 Copa del Rey Final is a football match that will decide the winner of the 2019–20 Copa del Rey, the 118th edition of Spain's primary football cup (including two seasons where two rival editions were played). The match will be played at the Estadio de La Cartuja in Seville[1] between Real Sociedad and Athletic Bilbao, the first Basque derby final.[2]

2020 Copa del Rey Final
The Estadio de La Cartuja in Seville will host the final.
Event2019–20 Copa del Rey
Real Sociedad Athletic Bilbao
Date3 April 2021 (2021-04-03)
VenueEstadio de La Cartuja, Seville

Originally scheduled for 18 April 2020, the match was postponed with the agreement of the participating clubs on 11 March (with no new date decided at that point) due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which had led to football matches being cancelled or played behind closed doors as a measure to prevent the spread of the virus, in the hope that the delay would provide time to contain the outbreak and allow the final to take place with a full stadium as in normal circumstances.[3] The final will be played on 3 April 2021[4] (earlier press rumours had suggested it would be a day later).[5]

Background

Real Sociedad are competing in their eighth Copa del Rey final, having lost the 1988 final to Barcelona. Athletic Bilbao are competing in their 38th final, having lost to Barcelona in 2015.[6] In reaching the final, both teams were assured qualification for the four-team 2020–21 Supercopa de España;[7] this four-team competition was played in January 2021 and won by Athletic.[8]

In the 1910 Copa del Rey (which had two rival tournaments running in parallel), the two clubs participated in the three-team group of the UECF competition along with Madrid FC. The decisive match was between the Basque teams (Athletic winning 1–0),[9][10] but as it was not a final in the traditional knockout format and the newly-formed Real Sociedad were playing under the name 'Vasconia' for licensing reasons,[11] it is not widely recognised as an equivalent to their meeting 110 years later.[12]

Indefinite delay

Around the time of the original date for the final, the Spanish federation (RFEF) had indicated they would grant the designated Europa League place to Athletic Bilbao (10th position in La Liga at the time of its suspension with 11 rounds remaining) should the match not be played within the period of 2019–20,[13] as Real Sociedad  (4th position) were likely to qualify for at least the Europa League and possibly the Champions League via the table. However, on 30 April UEFA stated that the final must be played by 3 August to activate the designated qualification place, otherwise this would revert to the team finishing 7th in La Liga (either with the fixtures completed or the standings declared).[14] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it would be very unlikely that any final played by then would allow spectators into the stadium, a factor both clubs had declared was essential when it was initially postponed. Athletic Bilbao submitted a formal protest against UEFA's instruction,[15] and on 4 May both teams officially reiterated their stance to delay the match until such a time as supporters would be able to attend it.[16][17]

When the league resumed in June 2020, the form of both clubs was poor: Athletic Bilbao collected 14 points from 33 available while Real Sociedad gained only 10 points and slipped down the table; however, five of those came in the last three matchdays, including one from an 88th-minute equaliser against Atlético Madrid on the final day[18] to keep them just above Granada and Getafe – they finished sixth and qualified for the Europa League group stage, the same status as would have been afforded the Copa winner. Athletic's challenge had already fallen short and they placed eleventh.[19]

Route to the final
Further information: 2019–20 Copa del Rey
Real Sociedad Round Athletic Bilbao
Opponent Result Opponent Result
Becerril 8–0 (A) First round Intercity 3–0 (A)
Ceuta 4–0 (A) Second round Sestao River 4–0 (A)
Espanyol 2–0 (H) Round of 32 Elche 1–1 (5–4 p) (A)
Osasuna 3–1 (H) Round of 16 Tenerife 3–3 (4–2 p) (A)
Real Madrid 4–3 (A) Quarter-finals Barcelona 1–0 (H)
Mirandés 2–1 (H), 1–0 (A) Semi-finals Granada 1–0 (H), 1–2 (A)

Key: (H) = Home; (A) = Away

Match

Details
Real SociedadvAthletic Bilbao

References
  1. "Official: La Cartuja stadium in Seville to host Copa del Rey finals until 2023". as.com. AS. 5 February 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
  2. "Copa del Rey: El Athletic asegura un derbi en la final" [Copa del Rey: Athletic ensures a derby in the final]. UEFA.com (in Spanish). Union of European Football Associations. 5 March 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
  3. The final of the Copa del Rey postponed, Athletic Bilbao, 11 March 2020
  4. Official: The Copa del Rey 2019-20 final set for April 3, Athletic Bilbao, 28 January 2021
  5. "Last season's Copa del Rey final to be on April 4 and this year's on April 18". MARCA in English. 15 November 2020.
  6. Tejedor Carnicero, José Vicente (18 July 2019). "Spain – List of Cup Finals". RSSSF. Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
  7. Copa del Rey: Athletic Bilbao beat Granada to set up all-Basque final with Sociedad, BBC Sport, 5 March 2020
  8. Bell, Arch (17 January 2021). "Williams sinks Barcelona and Athletic claim the Supercopa". Marca. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  9. "El Athletic de Bilbao, campeón de la Copa de España de fútbol de 1910" [Athletic de Bilbao, champion of the 1910 Spanish Cup] (in Spanish). Euskonews & Media. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  10. Athletic Bilbao Scores Late to Set Up All-Basque Copa Del Rey Final, Sports Illustrated, 6 March 2020
  11. Copa del Rey Alfonso XIII 1910, LinguaSport (in Spanish)
  12. Será un derbi (it will be a derby), Real Sociedad de Fútbol (in Spanish), 5 March 2020
  13. Ibai Gomez: 'I prefer to play the Copa del Rey with fans than qualify for Europe', Football España, 2 May 2020
  14. The team that finishes 7th will play the Europa League if there is no Copa del Rey final, Diario AS, 30 April 2020
  15. Official announcement, Athletic Bilbao, 1 May 2020
  16. Official announcement, Athletic Bilbao, 4 May 2020
  17. Copa del Rey | Official announcement, Real Sociedad, 4 May 2020
  18. Atletico Madrid 1-1 Real Sociedad: Late Januzaj equaliser secures Europa League spot, Goal.com, 19 July 2020
  19. Athletic Club 0-2 Leganés: The Race For Europe Ends, Inside Athletic, 16 July 2020
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