The second round of the Copa del Rey 2024–25 kicks off on Dec. 3, but four La Liga clubs will not participate in the action, including Real Madrid and Barcelona.
One week after the conclusion of the tournament's first round, 56 of the 60 remaining teams in this season's Copa del Rey are looking to punch their ticket to the round of 32. 16 teams from the First Division, 15 from the Second Division, 11 from the First Federation and 14 from the Second Federation all have their sights set on winning the oldest Spanish soccer competition.
The results of the upcoming 28 matches unfolding this week will determine the clubs joining Real Madrid, Barcelona, Athletic Cub and Mallorca in the next stage of the competition. The four La Liga teams already guaranteed their spots in the round of 32 without playing a single Copa del Rey match this season.
The four clubs received byes because they are the four representatives participating in the Spanish Super Cup. Real Madrid and Barcelona secured their spot in the upcoming competition, unfolding in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, by finishing in first and second place of La Liga in 2023–24. As the two finalists from last year's Copa del Rey, Athletic Club and Mallorca round out the four-team Spanish Super Cup.
The exceptions do not extend to other top La Liga clubs, including Atlético Madrid and Villarreal. To advance in the Copa del Rey, they will have to win their second round matches this week.
Athletic Club will look to become the first club to defend its Copa del Rey title since Barcelona won the competition four times in a row from 2015 to 2018. Real Madrid, meanwhile, only have one Copa del Rey title in its trophy cabinet in the last decade.
Both sides, along with Barcelona and Mallorca, do not have to worry about their Copa del Rey campaigns, though, until the new year.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Why Real Madrid and Barcelona Aren't Playing the Copa del Rey 2024-25 Second Round.
