Participants: all Primera and Segunda (first and second divisions) clubs, best Segunda B clubs, and the fourth division (Tercera) champions.
Official name: The Campeonato de España–Copa de Su Majestad el Rey – Copa del Rey.
Tournament organizer: the Royal Spanish Football Federation.
With regard to changes in regulations introduced in 2005/06 and 2006/07 seasons, the Copa del Rey for Segunda B teams begins from the qualifying matches between them, followed by meetings with Segunda A clubs. General competitions, in which the Primera clubs take part, start from the 1/16 final stage. Previously participants of European championships entered the fight for the royal cup at the round of last 16, however, this rule was cancelled in 2006.
The competition begins with playoffs. Starting from the 1/32 and up to the semi-final pairs of teams play 2 games with each other, one meeting on the field of each opponent.
The final battle consists of one game, is held at a neutral site and reveals the tournament winner.
In the years, when return legs were not presupposed by regulations, the home arena advantage was given to a weaker team.
The winner of the Copa del Rey automatically becomes the representative of Spain in the Europa League. This team also participates in the match for the Spanish Super Cup, meeting the winner of the national championship before the start of the next season.
Before 1928 the cup tournament performed the role of the championship of Spain. Since its foundation in 1902 the Cup itself changed its name several times. It got its current name in 1977. In total, 17 clubs owned this trophy. The record-holder is “Barcelona” (26 titles), followed by “Athletic Bilbao” (23 wins), and “Real Madrid” (19 titles) closes the top three.
12 cups of various designs were manufactured over the tournament history. Four of them for permanent storage received “Barcelona”, three – “Athletic”, and one went to “Real”. One may get a trophy forever for a series of victories in three consecutive contests or for five victories for the entire period of participation in the tournament. The first cup was donated to the club from Biscay in 1902.
The first and the only team until now that reached the final without a single goal missed was “Real Madrid”. This was achieved in the 2013/14 season.
