The Spanish Copa del Rey is a knockout cup competition that takes place in Spain each and every season. It is under the operation of the Royal Spanish Football Federation. It first started way back in 1903 and it is still the oldest football competition that is still taking place in the nation today. There are a number of perks associated with winning the Copa del Rey in addition to the prestige that comes with winning the event.
The history of the Copa del Rey
It was in 1902 that a competition was started in order to celebrate the new king’s coronation. This was King Alonso XIII’s coronation. There were five clubs taking part in this competition, being Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Club Bizcaya, New Football de Madrid and Club Espanol de Football. This was a forerunner for the Copa del Rey.
It was in 1903 that the Copa del Rey was officially created and became the national championship for football in the country up until the creation of the League Championship in 1928. The Copa del Rey has gone through a number of name changes throughout the years. During the Spanish Civil War, there was a split in the competition, with a number of football clubs deciding to compete in a different type of competition.
The all-time leaders
The all-time leader in terms of the total amount of Copa del Rey titles won is FC Barcelona with a total of 30 titles. Athletic Bilbao is next on this list but the total number of titles it holds is disputed. Either way, the club has either won 23 or 24 titles during the history of the Copa del Rey, including the very first iteration of the event. In previous times, to qualify for the Copa del Rey, there would be regional league qualification places.
The Copa del Rey trophy has been changed a number of times over the decades. The most recent example of this was in 2010 when Sevilla FC sought permission to keep the trophy in order to recognize the national team winning the FIFA World Cup that summer in South Africa.
This led to the creation of a new trophy, with Real Madrid being the first winner. During the open-top bus celebrations, Real Madrid legend Sergio Ramos accidentally dropped the new Copa del Rey trophy from the bus. It ended up falling under the bus and proceeded to get run over. It was then scattered in many different pieces.
The format of the Copa del Rey
During the years, there have been a number of different forms to the Copa del Rey. At certain stages, there were even group stages in the competition. These days, it is only teams in the top few divisions of league football in Spain that get an invite into the Copa del Rey. The early rounds will take place over a single leg and there is home advantage automatically given to the side which is in the lower division.
There are then two legs that take place for the round of 32, last 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals. The Copa del Rey final is a single game that takes place at a stadium that is neutral. The team that successfully wins the Copa del Rey will get qualification into the UEFA Europa League and the Supercopa de Espana in the next season.
Betting on the Copa del Rey
The Copa del Rey has always been a competition that has held a lot of excitement for players and fans alike. It is the leading cup competition that is played in Spain each season. Knockout football provides something different than league football. On any given day a much weaker team can knock out the giants of football in a given country. The Copa del Rey has showcased its fair share of upsets over the years, with many more to no doubt come in the future.
This makes it a great arena for sports betting. There can be a lot of value bets that can be used to try and crystalize profit levels as much as possible. Some of the big guns may be a bit vulnerable during the Copa del Rey and you may be able to spot opportunities to take advantage of that. Everything from handicap markets to extra-time and penalty shoot-out competitions in real-time can be catered for depending on your needs as a sports bettor.
