Copa del Rey's Historical Rivalries: A Trip Down Memory Lane
The Copa del Rey semi-finals feature four clubs with rich cup histories, collectively winning 69 titles between them. Relive the classic battles that shaped Spanish football.
The 122nd edition of the Copa del Rey has served up a treat with four heavyweight contenders who’ve written some of the competition’s most memorable chapters going head-to-head in the semi-finals.
The Fantastic Four
These aren’t just any old clubs - between them, Barcelona (32), Athletic Club (24), Atlético Madrid (10) and Real Sociedad (3) have hoisted the trophy a whopping 69 times. That’s some serious pedigree right there.
When it comes to head-to-heads, the Barça-Atleti rivalry has produced 25 previous knockout ties with the Catalans dominating (16-9), while the Basque derby has seen Athletic get the better of La Real in seven of their ten previous cup encounters.
Barcelona vs Atlético: A Proper Rollercoaster
Their first-ever cup battle came way back in the 1924-25 semis, needing a replay after both won their home legs. Barcelona eventually squeezed through 2-1 in Zaragoza.
Some memorable encounters include:
- 1956-57: A proper spanking by Barcelona, winning 13-3 on aggregate including an 8-1 hammering featuring seven goals from ‘Coquito’ Martínez
- 1995-96: The pinnacle for Atlético fans - winning the final 1-0 with Pantic’s header securing the famous double
- 1996-97: Absolute scenes at Camp Nou with a 5-4 Barcelona win (7-6 on aggregate) featuring a Pantic poker and Ronaldo hat-trick
- 2024-25: Last season’s semi-final first leg ended in a 4-4 thriller before Barcelona advanced with a Ferran Torres winner in the return
The Basque Derby Cup Chronicles
Athletic and Real Sociedad’s cup rivalry stretches back to 1923, with some fascinating encounters:
- 1974-75: A quarter-final settled on penalties after identical 3-1 home wins, with the shootout going to the 14th kick before Athletic prevailed
- 1983-84: Another penalty triumph for Athletic en route to beating Maradona’s Barcelona in the final
- 1986-87: Bakero’s header sent La Real to the final after a semi-final stalemate
- 2019-20: Their most recent cup meeting was the pandemic-delayed final played behind closed doors in 2021, with Oyarzabal’s penalty securing Real Sociedad’s third Copa
What’s Next?
With these four clubs renewing their historic rivalries in this year’s semis, we’re set for another chapter in what’s been a proper box of delights throughout Copa history. Given the previous barnstormers, don’t be surprised if we see more drama before this year’s winner lifts the trophy.
The semis promise to be right Bobby Dazzlers with such rich history between these sides - I wouldn’t miss them for all the tea in China.