Fertiberia Puerto Sagunto return to the Copa del Rey after thirty-six years

Fertiberia Puerto Sagunto play the last 16 of the XXXVIII Copa del Rey de Balonmano this Wednesday against Cuatro Rayas Valladolid, from 20:15 at their Intenucleos “Ovni” court.

The quirk of the draw has meant that the Valencian red-and-white club's return to the Copa del Rey, after thirty-six years away, will be against their most recent league opponents, Cuatro Rayas Valladolid. Neither the Valladolid coach, World Champion with Spain Juan Carlos Pastor, nor the young Asobal debutant and Valencian Vicent Nogues can claim not to know their opponents. Just five days after Fertiberia subjected the Castilians to a heavy defeat (30-23), the surprising bottom side in the Liga Asobal return to the Ovni.

A tie more evenly matched than might have been expected, given that under the new cup format the eight teams at the top of last season's league were to face the eight bottom or newly promoted teams. The Valencians are now twelfth and the Castilians occupy the bottom of the Liga Asobal table.

A match in which it remains to be seen what strategy both coaches adopt, as the World Championship break is cramming matches together at a “European” pace. A match last Saturday, the cup this Wednesday, back to the league on Saturday, and, to complete the marathon of matches, another midweek league round, before finishing on Saturday with the final matchday of the first half of the Liga Asobal season. In other words, the teams will play five matches in fifteen days, an exhausting pace, especially for teams in the lower half of the table, whose squad depth is not what it should be as a result of the financial constraints governing Spanish sport at this particularly acute stage of the crisis.

Thus, they face the dilemma of resting their best players or taking advantage of this new Copa del Rey format, which allows them to reach the quarter-finals through a single-leg tie, after which, with a two-legged quarter-final, a favourable draw could enable them to pull off the feat of reaching the final four. Such an enticing path leaves the coaches debating how to approach the match: with Saturday's league opponent in mind or the Copa del Rey match.

Sources within the red-and-white board say that thirty-six years without taking part in the competition deserve their utmost commitment, especially since Fertiberia Puerto Sagunto have, no less, two semi-final appearances in the predecessor to the Copa del Rey, the Copa del Generalísimo (1966–67 and 1968–69 seasons). It is certainly a record that such a historic Spanish handball institution as Fertiberia Puerto Sagunto must honour.

In strictly sporting terms, the red-and-whites continue without Mateu Castella, who is unlikely to return to play until after the break, while they welcome back their conductor, Fernando Latorre, after suspension.

The red-and-white club is expecting strong support from its fans and has set a single price of €5, of which €1 will go to the Spanish Red Cross, in an act of solidarity supporting this organisation's work with the most disadvantaged.

Translation produced using artificial intelligence.