The draw for the semifinals of the Copa del Rey has produced a classic between Real Madrid and Barcelona that will force the tournament calendar to be altered. The dates set by the Spanish Federation (RFEF) for this round of the competition included the first leg on February 8 and 9 and the return on March 1 and 2. But this calendar did not take into account Real Madrid's participation in the Club World Cup. Ancelotti's team will play the semifinals of this tournament on Wednesday, February 8, with the possible final on Saturday the 11th. Therefore, fully coinciding with the first leg of the Copa del Rey and forcing them to look for a plan B.
In addition, the alternatives to find a free date for both were few considering that Real Madrid is still alive in the Champions League and that Barcelona, for its part, is playing the Europa League.
The RFEF has solved the calendar problem by transferring both semifinals, not only the classic, but also Osasuna-Athletic. The first legs will be played on the date initially scheduled for the return, on February 28, March 1 or 2, with the return on April 4, 5 or 6.
It remains to be confirmed which date will be the final one for each of the semifinals, but everything indicates that the Santiago Bernabeu match will be played on March 1. The tie would be resolved at the Camp Nou on April 5. In between, on March 19, the blaugranas and whites will also face each other in a league match in Barcelona, completing a month of real heart attack for both, who will face each other up to three times.
After all the rounds have been played in a single match, in the field of the lower category rival, the semifinals will be played in a double match, a novelty recently introduced in the competition. In addition, following the example of UEFA, the RFEF has also eliminated the double value of goals in the opposite field in this type of round-trip eliminatory.
The final will be played one more year at La Cartuja in Seville on May 6, at a time yet to be defined. The Andalusian stadium is the venue chosen by the Federation to host the final of the Copa del Rey, at least until the year 2025. Both the final and all the semifinal matches will be broadcast on Spanish Television.
