Last updated : Monday, 15 April 2024
Introduction
The Copa is an amateur football league in Spain. It is the oldest national interclub tournament in Spain, and is considered to be the second most important football competition in the country, after La Liga.
The Copa was founded in 1903, and is named after the Spanish king Alfonso XIII. The current champion is Real Madrid, who won the 2022-2023 season.
The Copa is a single-elimination tournament, and is played between clubs from all levels of the Spanish football pyramid. The final is usually played at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid.
History
The Copa was founded in 1903, and the first tournament was won by Athletic Bilbao. The Copa has been won by a total of 34 different clubs, with Real Madrid winning the most titles (14).
The Copa has been suspended several times, due to World Wars and other conflicts. The longest suspension was between 1937 and 1940, during the Spanish Civil War.
The Copa has also been affected by political changes in Spain. For example, the Copa was not played in the 1936-1937 season, due to the start of the Spanish Civil War.
Format
The Copa is a single-elimination tournament, and is played between clubs from all levels of the Spanish football pyramid. The first round of the tournament is played between clubs from the lower divisions, and the winners progress to the next round.
The top clubs from La Liga and Segunda División enter the tournament in the round of 32. The final is usually played at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid.
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