Copa del Rey Final: Calendar Chaos in Seville

Date change and security concerns

The rescheduled date comes for security reasons. Rafael Lozano, president of the Spanish Football Federation, announced on Saturday that the Copa del Rey final would be held earlier than initially planned.

Venue and new date

The match is expected to be hosted at Estadio La Cartuja, the home ground of Sevilla, for the Copa del Rey final.

Lozano explained, during comments carried by AS on the eve of the women's Super Cup final, that the men's final would be moved and there is a strong likelihood it will take place the weekend before the original plan. The new date is 17 18 April.

The final had been set for April 25, but the date was moved forward due to security concerns linked to a clash with the Sevilla Expo and the Jerez Grand Prix motorcycle race.

Lozano added that there is a backup date and that he and La Liga have been in talks; the exact day and time will be announced within a week or two.

The quarterfinal draw results for the Copa del Rey are as follows:

Alaves vs Barcelona

Deportivo Alaves vs Real Sociedad

Valencia vs Athletic Bilbao

Real Betis vs Atletico Madrid

Matches will be played on the home grounds of the teams involved.

Games are scheduled between February 3 and 5.

The final note for fans: plans may shift, but the drama certainly won't disappear from Seville. Popcorn ready?

Punchline 1: If suspense were a sport, Lozano would win the title of most dramatic fixture in Seville.

Punchline 2: If calendars could perform magic, the final would keep appearing somewhere else just to keep us guessing. Now you see it, now you move it again.