Zaragoza thrashing Barcelona (5-4) and Madrid (6-5) on aggregate in the quarterfinal and semifinal before, somehow, losing 4-1 to Espanyol in 2004. Sergio Ramos dropping the cup during Madrid’s victory parade in 2011 and watching it disappear under the front wheels of the double-decker bus. Marcelino not only taking Valencia into the Champions League via their league performances but tormenting Barcelona in a 2-1 Copa win in 2017 — only to be thanked with the sack from Los Che‘s ungrateful owner. In 2013, Atleti somehow ending a 26-match, 14-year curse of not beating Madrid with a 2-1 win, where both Cristiano Ronaldo and Jose Mourinho were sent off, referee Clos Gomez showed 17 cards and the Colchonero fans sang: “Jose must stay!” He didn’t.
Only in the Copa del Rey could Real Sociedad win the first Basque derbi final (against Athletic Club) for 112 years and watch their coach, who is also a fanatical fan of the club, strip off his sports jacket in the postmatch news conference to pull on an old fashioned La Real strip, hoist a scarf above his head and scream Txuri-Urdin chants until his voice cracked.
Because both La Real and Athletic had wanted to beat the COVID-19 pandemic and have fans at the event (a lost cause) they had postponed the 2020 final by a year, meaning that the 2021 showpiece finale took place just two weeks later. That meant extra schadenfreude joy for Real Sociedad fans as, while their team couldn’t retain the trophy, rivals Athletic lost their second final in 14 days, this time 4-0 to Barcelona. Only in the Copa, I tell you.
Spain, like every other elite nation, is about to be drenched in soccer from now till June. The Supercopa, the Club World Cup, Champions League, Europa League, international matches under a new coach, and more LaLiga games than you can throw a stick at. But please, I beg you: Blow a kiss and keep a special place in your heart for this country’s idiosyncratic, unpredictable, thrill-packed, loveable Copa del Rey. It’ll love you back.
