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Featured Tribunal Supremo Champions League Comisión Europea Yolanda Díaz Ucrania

Four contenders for a cupbearer throne

MADRID, 1 Mar.

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Four contenders for a cupbearer throne

MADRID, 1 Mar. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The 2022-2023 edition of the Copa del Rey begins its most decisive phase this Wednesday and Thursday with the dispute of the semifinals, already with the round trip format, and with four survivors, the three most successful in the tournament and the surprise of this season, who aspire to be in the final on May 6 at the La Cartuja Stadium in Seville. We review the four semifinalists.

1. FC Barcelona. The 'king' of Cups. The Catalan team, current prominent leader of LaLiga Santander, has a total of 31 titles in its history, six between 2012 and 2021, and no one has played more finals than him (42). The cup trophy can help prop up Xavi Hernández's project and serve as compensation for the European fiasco, although to do so they must first eliminate Real Madrid in the great duel of these semifinals.

2. Athletic Club. A classic. The Biscayan team has always had great appreciation for the 'KO tournament', which has been their best option to get the barge back, something they haven't done since 1984, the year of their last major title. He is the only one to repeat last year in this round, in fact, he faces CA Osasuna in his fourth consecutive semifinal in search of his 40th final and his twenty-third Cup.

3. Real Madrid. To end the wait. And if FC Barcelona and Athletic Club are usually good at this competition, quite the opposite happens to the Madrid team, which adds many disappointments in this 21st century. The 14-time European champion has lifted the trophy 19 times, but the last time in 2014, with Carlo Ancelotti on the bench, and since then only in the 2018-2019 campaign was he able to reach the semifinals, eliminated by Barça.

4. Osasuna. The dream of the modest. The 'rojillo' team completes the shortlist of semifinalists and seeks to give the big bell with what would be the first great title in its history that would give it a passport to the Spanish Super Cup and to Europe. Jagoba Arrasate's men, in the penultimate round of the tournament for the sixth time, have only played in one cup final, the loss in 2005 in extra time against Betis 2-1. Since then they have never been so close to the trophy.

Keywords:
Copa Del Rey