The 2019–20 Copa del Rey was the 118th staging of the Copa del Rey (including two seasons where two rival editions were played). In its original format, the winners were assured a place in the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League group stage, however this place was forfeited under the extraordinary circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain, with the two finalists (Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad) opting instead to delay the date of the postponed match. Both finalists qualified for the four-team 2021 Supercopa de España.
As across Spain, match times up to 26 October 2019 and from 29 March 2020 were CEST (UTC+2). Times on interim ("winter") days were CET (UTC+1).
Schedule and format
On 29 April 2019, the assembly of the Royal Spanish Football Federation approved the new competition format,[5][6] expanding the competition to 125 teams and changing all rounds to a single-match format until the semi-finals.
New entries: All qualified teams except the four participants in the Supercopa de España. Opponents seeding: Teams from La Liga faced teams from the lowest divisions. The four remaining teams faced teams from Segunda División B. One team received a bye. Local team seeding: Match played at home of team in lower division. Knock-out tournament type:Single match.
Second round
20 December 2019
12 January 2020
28
56 → 28
Opponents seeding: Teams from lowest divisions faced La Liga teams. Local team seeding: Match played at home of team in lower division. Knock-out tournament type: Single match
Round of 32
14 January 2020
22 January 2020
16
32 → 16
New entries: Clubs participating in Supercopa de España gained entry. Opponents seeding: Teams from lowest divisions faced La Liga teams. Local team seeding: Match played at home of team in lower division. Knock-out tournament type: Single match.
Round of 16
24 January 2020
29 January 2020
8
16 → 8
Opponents seeding: Teams from lowest divisions faced La Liga teams. Local team seeding: Match played at home of team in lower division. Knock-out tournament type: Single match.
Quarter-finals
31 January 2020
5 February 2020
4
8 → 4
Opponents seeding: Luck of the draw. Local team seeding: Match played at home of team in lower division. Knock-out tournament type: Single match.
Semi-finals
7 February 2020
12 February 2020
2
4 → 2
Opponents seeding: Luck of the draw. Local team seeding: Luck of the draw. Knock-out tournament type:Double match.
Games ending in a tie were decided in extra time, and if still level, by a penalty shoot-out.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain, the final was postponed; the participants (Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad) agreed to delay the event until such a time as supporters were permitted to be present, but this meant the deadline for UEFA registration would be missed; therefore the UEFA Europa League place normally on offer passed over to La Liga.
Qualified teams
The following teams qualified for the competition. Reserve teams were excluded.[8]
Segunda División B the top seven non-reserve teams of each group of the 2018–19 season
Tercera División the best non-reserve team of each one of the eighteen groups of the 2018–19 season and the best fourteen runners-up, excluding reserve teams
Copa Federación the four semi-finalists of the 2019 season[10]
Regional leagues The winners of the twenty groups of the fifth tier in the 2018–19 season
Stadium: Poliesportiu Municipal Attendance: 2,000 Referee: Ibáñez Juárez
First round
The first round was played by all the qualified teams, except the four participants in the 2020 Supercopa de España, paired by a draw where the ten winners from the previous preliminary round were paired with ten teams from the La Liga. The remaining six teams and the 22 teams of Segunda were paired with the four Copa Federación semifinalists, the 21 that compete in Tercera and three from Segunda B. Finally, the remaining 35 teams from Segunda B were paired between them, one team received a bye in this round. In the case of rivals of the same category, the home advantage was decided by the order of extraction of the balls and otherwise, it was in the stadium of the lower category team. A total of 55 games were played, with 111 participating teams, from December 17 to 19, 2019.[12]
Draw
Teams were divided into five pots according to their division in the 2019–20 season, except Andorra, included in the pot 1 as participant of the preliminary round.[13]
^ abComillas and SD Logroñés played their game at Las Gaunas instead of their regular stadium Mundial 82, also in Logroño, after mutual agreement between both clubs and official approval from the Royal Spanish Football Federation.[14]
^Mensajero played at Rosendo Hernández instead of their regular stadium Silvestre Carrillo, also in Santa Cruz de La Palma as this one does not have floodlights.[16]
^Peña Azagresa played its game at La Planilla instead of their regular stadium Miguel Sola, in Azagra, as it does not meet the requirements established by the Royal Spanish Football Federation.[15]
^Match started on 19 December 2019 at 20:45 and after 39 minutes played, it was suspended with 0–1 due to strong winds.
^Match started on 17 December 2019 at 19:00 and after 18 minutes played, it was suspended with 0–0 due to heavy rain.
Second round
Draw
Teams were divided into four pots according to their division in the 2019–20 season. Tercera División teams were drawn with others from La Liga, while the rest of Segunda B and Tercera teams were drawn with teams from La Liga and Segunda División.
Pot 1 8 teams of Tercera División and 1 team qualified through the Copa Federación
The four participant teams of the 2020 Supercopa de España were firstly drawn with the teams from the lowest category. After them, all the remaining teams from the lowest categories faced the rest of La Liga teams. The draw was held on 14 January 2020.
Six teams of La Liga were firstly drawn with the teams from the lower categories. After them, all the remaining teams from La Liga teams faced one another. The draw was held on 24 January 2020.
Stadium: Anduva Attendance: 4,500 Referee: Santiago Jaime Latre
Quarter-finals
Draw
All 8 teams were in one pot, and the home team was decided by the luck of the draw. As the only remaining Segunda División side, Mirandés hosted its opponent regardless, as per the rules. The draw took place on 31 January 2020.
^Real Federación Española de Fútbol (March 2011). "Historial"(PDF). Revista Oficial de la R.F.E.F. p. 70. Archived from the original(pdf) on 18 July 2012. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
^"Circular Nº 40"(PDF) (in Spanish). Royal Spanish Football Federation. 12 November 2019. Archived from the original(PDF) on 12 November 2019. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
