Copa del Rey: Athletic Bilbao defeats Mallorca on penalties to end 40-year trophy drought
Athletic Bilbao defeated Mallorca 4-2 on penalties on Saturday to win their 24th Copa del Rey title and first since 1984, snapping a 40-year trophy drought in a tense final in Seville.
Athletic have experienced years of heartache, having lost six consecutive Spanish Cup finals and a Europa League final to Atletico Madrid in 2012.
But, roared on by approximately 50,000 fans who invaded Seville and outnumbered Mallorca's supporters at a sold-out La Cartuja stadium that seats 60,000 people, Athletic overcame all of their trauma to win the long-awaited victory in a hard-fought final.
Julen Agirrezabala, their 23-year-old goalkeeper who made a couple of brilliant saves during the game, saved one penalty kick in the shootout from Mallorca's Manu Morlanes, while Nemanja Radonjic missed his.
Athletic's penalty takers, meanwhile, were flawless in their execution, scoring four in a row to secure the win, capping off a brilliant season under the calm guidance of ex-Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde, in which they are also aiming for a top-four LaLiga finish.
"I'm so happy to have made history at this club, the club of my life! I've been dreaming about this for a long time. I've given everything for my family, my friends..." an emotional man-of-the-match Nico Williams told TVE.
"The fans have always been with us and they deserve it, let's enjoy it. It's a dream to win with the club of my life. Everyone can enjoy it now and celebrate!"
The game ended 1-1 after extra time. Despite Bilbao dominating possession with nearly 70%, Dani Rodriguez fired in a curling shot after a couple of other attempts were charged down, giving Mallorca the lead in the 21st minute.
However, Ohian Sancet equalised in the 50th minute before Bilbao laid siege to Mallorca's goal, with keeper Dominik Greif working his magic to deny several Basque attempts.
Athletic missed several other scoring opportunities late on, including Williams hitting the post in extra time.
However, a tenacious Mallorca team, aiming for only their second major trophy after winning the Copa del Rey in 2003, held firm in defence and posed a threat in counter-attacks before succumbing in the shootout.
Bilbao is the fourth oldest Spanish club and one of three that have never been relegated, along with Real Madrid and Barcelona, while remaining committed to their unique philosophy of only fielding Basque players, which they regard as a badge of honour.
With their 24th Copa del Rey win, they remain second only to Barcelona, who have 31.
"This title is unlike any other," Athletic manager and former player Ernesto Valverde told TVE.
"You only have to see how the stadium was, the fans who came here. I had refused to think about (celebrating) before the final, now I will think about it... What am I gonna do?"
SportsLigue