Barça’s 35th Copa del Rey final

Barcelona (FCB).- The indisputable King of Cups has yet another chance to reclaim the throne. Barça have made it into the 35^th Spanish Cup final, a tournament they have already won a record 25 times (Athletic Bilbao are second in the list with 23). Qualification in 2011 means FCB also equal Bilbao’s record of 35 appearances in the grand final.

Barça first won their first cup in 1910, beating Español Madrid. Over the next few years, they became regular campaigners in the final, with the real period of splendour coming in the 1950s, when the club won 5 Cups. They added a further six between 1981 and 1998 to finally beat Bilbao’s record, but from Mestalla ‘98 to Mestalla ‘09 the club went a record eleven years without once appearing in the Copa de Rey final again.

Joy at Mestalla

Barça have qualified for the 2011 final just two years after that incredible night in Valencia. On May 13, 2009, Barça defeated none other than Athletic Bilbao themselves by a convincing 4-1. Goals from Touré, Messi, Bojan and Xavi secured the first part of what would eventually be a historic treble of cup, league and Champions League for FC Barcelona.

Pep’s seventh

That was the first of six finals in which Pep Guardiola has managed Barcelona, and to date he has a one hundred per record of wins: Copa del Rey (2009), Champions League (2009), Spanish Super Cup (2009), European Super Cup (2009), World Clubs Cup (2009) and Spanish Super Cup (2010). He has won eight of the ten competitions he has coached the first team in, and could now make it nine out of eleven on Wednesday April 20.

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