Fans to return for Copa del Rey finals, radio station reports

Supporters will be able to attend the rescheduled Spain's Copa del Rey final next month between Real Sociedad and Athletic Bilbao, radio station Cadena Ser reported on Wednesday.

FILE PHOTO: General view inside La Cartuja stadium in Seville
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Spanish Super Cup Final - FC Barcelona v Athletic Bilbao - Estadio La Cartuja de Sevilla, Seville, Spain - January 17, 2021 General view inside the stadium before the match REUTERS/Marcelo Del Pozo/File Photo

MADRID: Supporters will be able to attend the rescheduled Spain's Copa del Rey final next month between Real Sociedad and Athletic Bilbao, radio station Cadena Ser reported on Wednesday.

The report said Seville's La Cartuja stadium, which holds 60,000 spectators, will be at between 20per cent and 25per cent capacity for last season's rescheduled final on April 3 and this season's showpiece between Barcelona and Athletic on April 17.

The Spanish soccer federation declined to comment on the report but said it was holding a meeting with Athletic and Sociedad on Thursday to make arrangements for the final, with the prospect of fan attendance to be discussed.

Spectators have been barred from elite Spanish soccer matches since March 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to Athletic and Sociedad agreeing to postpone last season's final by a year so fans could attend.

The two Basque sides have never before met in a Copa del Rey final and even agreed to surrender potential qualification for this season's Europa League so that the match could be played in front of their fans a year later.

(Reporting by Richard Martin; Editing by David Goodman)

Source: Reuters