The final postponed Copa del Rey between Real Sociedad and Athletic is taking shape. As announced by AS and made official by the Federation, this meeting will take place on April 3 at the La Cartuja stadium and not the 4 as planned. A match that was postponed in 2020 after the agreement between the two clubs and the RFEF to postpone it until there could be a public in the stands, although with the current health situation and the threat of the British strain of the coronavirus it is difficult to do so. However, several sources consulted agree: “We are going to do everything possible to make it public.” On the other hand, the final of the Queen's Cup, also postponed by COVID, It will be played on February 13 at La Rosaleda, as AS already said.
The coronavirus pandemic forced the postponement of last season's Cup final from 2020 to 2021 since the epidemiological situation in the country, in the middle of a State of Alarm, prevented it. The presidents of Real Sociedad and Athletic, the two finalist clubs, and the RFEF decided to delay it by a year to try to transform the final into a football party and that there could be an audience in the stands, something inconceivable in the months of June and July as it was raised at first. As AS has advanced and has confirmed the RFEF, it will finally be played on April 3 at the La Cartuja stadium. A few days after the national team plays, so Luis Enrique could summon Real and Athletic players for the matches Officials (qualifying) Qatar 2022 from March 25 in Los Cármenes against Greece and on March 31 in La Cartuja de Sevilla against Kosovo.
This final indicates that it will be played without fans in the stands. The increase in COVID cases due to the third wave and the negative forecasts in the short-medium term with the threat of the British strain, suggest that this final will be behind closed doors. Even so, it is a decision that does not correspond to either the Federation or the Junta de Andalucía and it will be the authorities that finally decide. That is, it will be the Higher Sports Council, with the information and recommendations of the Ministry of Health, the body that makes the decision. All options will be rushed to the end.
It will not be the only final to be played this year. Since for the 17th of April the current season is scheduled to be held. Today the last eight teams that will go to the quarterfinals will be known. For now, Real Sociedad can only be in the one on April 3, the one from the last edition, since this campaign has been eliminated in the second round. Athletic, still alive, could play two.
RFEF statement
“Malaga and Seville will be the official venues for the Copa de S.M. The Queen and the Copa de S.M. El Rey 2019/2020 on February 13 and April 3 respectively, following the agreement reached by the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) with the Junta de Andalucía and the collaboration and support of the Malaga City Council and the Malaga Provincial Council, in the case of the women's competition.
In this way, the date of both meetings is made official, which They will be broadcast by RTVE (Copa S.M. La Reina) and Mediaset (Copa S.M. El Rey). The first date, in this case with women's football, will be at the stadium of La Rosaleda de Málaga, which will host the final of the Copa de S.M. The Queen of the previous season, that is 2019/2020 between FC Barcelona and EDF Logroño. This final will be without an audience, given the current circumstances caused by the pandemic and the imminence of the tournament for which there are only two weeks left.
A couple of months later, specifically On April 3, the Basque teams Real Sociedad de Fútbol and Atlhetic Club will meet in a historic final in La Cartuja in Seville, in which the trophy of this competition will travel from Andalusia to the Basque Country closing the 2019/2020 season.
Both finals, organized by the RFEF, are a clear commitment to promoting the best football in all its dimensions and, to achieve this, it has had the collaboration of the Andalusian authorities, proactive in the path of promoting the excellence of this sport in our country.
Despite the pandemic situation, work has been done to achieve the return of the competitions in the required safety conditions and the dissemination of them through televisions.
One month before the men's final, the RFEF will hold the relevant meetings with the Ministry of Culture and Sports, the Junta de Andalucía and the clubs to discuss whether or not the public should attend this final. The Royal Spanish Football Federation is sensitive to the current situation and, therefore, this institution will respect, as it cannot be otherwise, what the health authorities and institutions establish and advise at all times “.