Spain's Copa Del Rey Struggling To Attract Fans As Top Clubs Dominate Early Rounds

The Copa del Rey "has not been able to draw the interest of fans," according to Xavier Diez of MUNDO DEPORTIVO. Stadium attendance "has not increased and only third-tier side Sant Andreu was able to fill its stadium when it hosted Atlético Madrid." The greater public "has lost interest due to the two-game format and absurd scheduling has also had an effect." Proof of this was the match between second division side Recreativo Huelva and La Liga side Levante, "which only attracted 1,000 people to a stadium with a capacity of more than 20,000." La Liga Valencia's match against third division side Nàstic de Tarragona sold "little more than 4,000 tickets." It "seems clear that the Copa del Rey's main problem is not the days when games are played, but the competition's format." The system change in '05-06 to a two-game format left "little room for surprises and excitement in the first rounds" (MUNDO DEPORTIVO, 12/10).