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NEWS | Copa del Rey
12 December 2023

Much more than just a draw

Beyond the drawing of the balls that determine the pairings, the Copa del Rey draws have become an audiovisual spectacle, full of surprises, live connections and star appearances.

It's not just the excitement of the matches; it's not just finding out the pairings; it's not just the drawing of the balls and the names of the teams. A Cup draw is much more than that, trying to live up to the prestige that the centenary old knock out tournament deserves. That's why, as in previous rounds, this 3rd round draw has been full of great moments that deserve to be reviewed.


Read more: Here's the draw in full

Live connections, unknowing hands with a lot of history behind them drawing balls all helped complete the spectacle of a draw that kicked off with a salute to a Spanish football idol: José Ángel Iríbar, "el Txopo", on the occasion of Athletic Club's 125th anniversary this week, with the Basque club being the club that has played in the most cup finals.

Cup winner in 1969 and 1973, and on the anniversary of his retirement (in a cup match against Getxo), Iríbar will unveil a statue in his honour  this Saturday in Bilbao; as such he acted as the representative for a team before the draw: "The Cup gets us going," he said openly.

 

Óscar Pérez, "Perso", captain of UD Barbastro; and Carlos Alonso, "Zazu", captain of Arandina, waved on from their seats from where they were following the draw. After finding out their pairings (FC Barcelona will travel to Barbastro, while Real Madrid will visit Aranda), they looked forward to the matches amidst the yells of excitement.

 

 

Among the unknowing hands chosen to draw the balls were Jorge González, "Pesca", from Aranda; Kike Barja, from C.A. Osasuna; Jesús de Miguel, from CD Castellón; Andoni Goikoetxea, another legendary Athletic Club player; and Yoel Rodríguez, goalkeeper of SD Eibar. Quite by chance, Kike Barja and Jesús de Miguel (Osasuna and Castellón) and Yoel and Goikoetxea (SD Eibar and Athletic Club) crossed paths drawing the balls both on stage and on the pitch, and a "magical" moment took place in which each club’s representative drew the name of their own team and determined the match up between the two.

 

There was also space for the sportsmanship shown by Yoel Rodríguez, with kind words of encouragement for their previous cup opponent.

 

Andoni Goikoetxea, who also knows what it is like to win the Copa del Rey, emphasised the excitement that the tournament brings every season.

 

 

Relive the draw in full again