Rivalry spills into Copa final
Print Edition
THE rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona has spilled into the Copa del Rey final, a match in which Madrid isn’t even playing.
Barcelona will face Sevilla in the final in May, but the discussion in Spain is about whether Real Madrid will allow the game to be played at its Santiago Bernabeu Stadium or force officials to choose a different venue.
Barcelona and Sevilla want the match at the Bernabeu, which is the biggest neutral ground, and would generate greater revenue. But Real Madrid’s past decisions, and silence on the issue so far, suggest it wants nothing to do with the final, in hope of avoiding the risk of seeing its biggest rival celebrating a title on its ground.
“We want to play in the biggest stadium possible, which will be good for our fans and for our rival’s fans,” Barcelona vice president Carles Vilarrubi said. “We want to play in the stadium which has the best conditions and best logistics for a game of this magnitude.”
Real hasn’t officially made any comments about the subject, neither opposing the game at the Bernabeu nor saying it wouldn’t have a problem with it.
It says there hasn’t been any official request from the Spanish soccer federation asking to play the final at its venue.
Its clear most Real Madrid fans don’t want to see Barcelona winning a trophy in their stadium again. It happened in 1997 in the Copa del Rey final against Real Betis. Barcelona supporters filled the Bernabeu wearing their team’s colors, and players lifted the trophy with the club’s hymn being played loudly through the stadium’s speakers.
It was the last Copa del Rey final at the Bernabeu. Real Madrid lost two other Copa finals there — to Atletico Madrid in 2013 and to Deportivo La Coruna in 2002. When Real Madrid and Barcelona met in the 2014 final, that was at Mestalla Stadium in Valencia.
“Real Madrid is scared of seeing Barcelona lift the trophy,” outspoken former Barcelona president Joan Gaspart told local media. “If that’s the reason, the club needs to say it, it needs to explain itself.”
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