Underdogs Dream of Glory in Copa del Rey

For a split-second, as a cluster of black and white-clad soccer players burst into raptures in Salamanca, Spain, soon after the new year, it was like they had won the greatest lottery on Earth.

Instead, inside a cramped room with the local press and a clunky black laptop, they had just seen their draw for the last 16 of the Copa del Rey: Barcelona, 52 positions higher in the country’s soccer pyramid, was coming to face Unionistas—the reward for a heroic penalty shootout win over Villarreal.

The chances that Unionistas, from a traditional university city, win Spain’s domestic cup competition are naturally slim. Still, defeating Xavi’s charges would make anything possible, and the club president, Roberto Pescador, is already promising a rocky ride for the La Liga heavyweight, whose squad boasts dollars, accolades and finesse. As well he might, too. Barcelona and Real Madrid haven’t coasted past fourth-tier opposition to get there, while Girona, a winning machine, almost tripped up at the first hurdle. The next stage begins on January 16.

It’s been plain sailing for some and embarrassment for others. Real Betis, Getafe, and Alavés notched up double-figure scores in the opening round of games, plundering 12, 12, and ten goals past sorry minnows Hernán Cortes, Tardienta and Deportivo Murcia in their backyards, respectively. The outclassed regional teams from the sixth and seventh categories had to find bigger stadiums to welcome their superior guests. Owning a proper field every season has even cost Unionistas—two leagues higher—over €300,000 ($330,000). The floodlights still failed against Villarreal.

Each scenario touches on the beauty and ugliness of the Copa—the best teams roughing it away on challenging fields with local fans hanging over them and others swatting aside far inferior opponents. Unlike the English FA Cup, the oldest soccer competition of all, where Premier League teams join the party in the third round, Spain’s elite names can meet poorer regional teams from the get-go.

If you dive further into the money, it’s stark. The best La Liga players earn millions of dollars per season. Meanwhile, those from the lower ranks have salaries in the thousands, and some teams in the Copa fall below the professional standard. When Unionistas last hosted Real in 2020, their stars’ annual income was reportedly €24,000 ($26,000) on average, another bracket to Gareth Bale, Isco and the visiting galácticos. If dollars revealed everything, knocking out the giants would be virtually impossible.

Indeed, winning the prize is. Spain’s national soccer federation (RFEF), which runs the show, structures the draw so the weakest teams meet the strongest ones in one-legged home ties during the earlier rounds. On the flip side, these ominous assignments—held at the lower-league stadiums—significantly bolster the underdogs’ finances, with ticket sales to see the nation’s stars sometimes bringing in nearly as much money as the humble clubs’ revenue for an entire season. If a team like Unionistas does the unthinkable by eliminating Barcelona, the cash and brand visibility multiplies further.

Now in the fourth division, third-level Numancia enjoyed a remarkable run to the quarterfinals in 1996, a journey that propelled an improbable ascent to La Liga before 2000. This year’s fairytale belongs to Unionistas, or maybe Tenerife, which could topple Mallorca in the last eight. After beating rival island team Las Palmas, it’s looking to reach the semis for the first time since 1994 when it stunned Real 0-3 in Madrid. Tenerife’s manager has a proud record. As a player, Asier Garitano knocked out Valencia with Alicante before leading lesser-fancied Leganés past Los Blancos as head coach.

“I’ve always liked this competition,” Garitano said, as El Día relayed. “If we have to make an extra effort, we will do it with a smile. And I think the team will be ready for all this,” he added, commenting on the game’s midweek scheduling.

Throughout its history, Madrid FC and Real Madrid, Barcelona, and—going further back—Athletic Club have enjoyed dominant spells in the Copa, somewhat undermining the anyone-can-win-it tag. However, triumphs for Valencia, Real Sociedad and Real Betis in the last five years, plus Osasuna’s journey to the final last season, have lifted the excitement. This romance is all the more welcome given the sport’s shift towards more exclusive shows, à la FIFA’s renewed Club World Cup and money-making Super Cups in Saudi Arabia.

After a thriller in their Super Cup encounter, Real and Atlético’s following matchups will be back home in Spain’s oldest soccer tournament. The two legs may not produce half the goals from Real’s crazy 5-3 victory in the Middle East. But the Copa’s enduring appeal, thanks as much to Davids as Goliaths, means there are few better occasions than authentic Madrid derbies—upcoming chapters in an event as compelling as ever.