Barcelona to request Copa del Rey final to be held in Madrid but on a different day
The club has given priority to ensuring that fans are able to travel to the Cup final against Sevilla as easily as possible.
For yet another year, the dispute about where the Copa del Rey final should be staged starts up as it remains to be established where the game, between Sevilla and Barcelona and scheduled for 21 April, will be held. Once again, Barça would prefer the game to be staged in the capital but as usual, Real Madrid will decline from offering their stadium. And once more it will be the Football Federation which has the final say. The most likely outcome is that the final will be played at Atlético de Madrid's ground, the Wanda Metropolitano although Mestalla is another viable solution if rearranging the fixtures calendar to hold the final in the capital proves too complicated. Sevilla want to play the game in their city, but that seems unlikely - because it falls on the same week as the Feria (The April Fair) and also as Barça refuse to play the game in their rivals' hometown.
Finding a new date for the Cup final
Another option, as put forward by El Periódico is to change the date of the final to hold the game on a more suitable day. On the weekend of 21 April, Atlético are at home to Betis. However, two of the Week 34 fixtures due to be played that weekend will need to be rearranged in any case - Sevilla were due to meet Real Madrid while Barcelona were down to meet Villarreal at Camp Nou. Bearing in mind that the previous week's fixtures will be played mid-week, this might appear to be the best option for everyone concerned.
All options will be discussed next week when both clubs sit down to find a solution that suits both parties at the Cuidad del Fútbol. Another eventuality is that finalists could be involved in the Champions League semi-finals. That scenario would be a massive headache to resolve.
Wanda or Mestalla...
Barcelona insist that they have not made any requests as of the moment but are aware that the date of the final could be subjected to changes. They will maintain their usual petitions - that the final should be played at a safe venue with easy access for their travelling fans, and at a stadium with enough capacity to meet the demands for tickets. As always, Madrid is the favourite location for Barcelona for its transport links and accommodation but seeing as the Bernabéu is out of the question, the Catalans see the new Wanda Metropolitano is the ideal choice. What isn't so pleasing is the date. Without fail, every year, there's always some kind of complication...