Draw for Copa del Rey Reveals Potential Local Derbies for Alicante Clubs

The prestigious Copa del Rey draw took center stage this Thursday morning as the Real Federación Española de Fútbol organized the selection process for the tournament’s first elimination round. Among the numerous football teams eagerly anticipating their opponents, the Jove Español de San Vicente, representing the Tercera Federación, was notably spotlighted. Alongside, regional peers including Elche and Eldense from LaLiga Hypermotion, Hercules from Primera Federación, and Orihuela from Segunda Federación, were also part of this highly anticipated event.

The tournament configuration, according to the rules outlined by the Copa del Rey’s 2024/25 Competition Norms and Bases, involves 115 participant squads. Of these, five teams, namely Athletic Club, FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, Real Mallorca, and Deportivo de La Coruña, enjoy a bye into the second round due to their respective standings and achievements in prior competitions.

During the scheduled dates of October 29th to 31st, matches will occur in a single-elimination format, with potential extra time and penalties, favoring the home ground advantage for lower-tier teams. This can potentially set up local derbies, particularly involving Alicante-based teams where Jove Español, Orihuela, Elche, Eldense, and Hercules figure prominently.

Jove Español, the runner-up from the Tercera Federación Group 6, stands as one of eight such teams entering this round largely because their group champion, the Elche Ilicitano, is a reserve team. Their potential rivals stem from a pool that includes notable La Liga teams like Alavés, Celta, and Girona among others. Remarkably, they will host any match against higher-league teams.

The intricacies of this draw emphasize a strong chance of local encounters as 37 LaLiga teams vie in the initial round. Fifteen of these will confront the 35 Segunda Federación winners, creating opportunities for exciting local clashes, with permutations involving teams like Elche or Eldense possibly facing Orihuela or Hercules.

As the excitement builds in anticipation of the encounters slated to be announced shortly, passionate fans from all represented teams await the unveiling of matchups anxiously, hoping for advantageous pairings in this eminent event on the Spanish football calendar.