FCBARCELONA.CAT

06.03.2009 10:03

Barça and Athletic in five previous finals

Vanessa Forns

The two clubs with that have won the Copa del Rey on the most occasions in history are due to meet on May 13 in Mestalla in the final once again as FC Barcelona take on Athletic Club de Bilbao.

Barça are back in the final eleven years after the last time, when they beat Mallorca in 1998, and their opponents will be Los Leones, who have not appeared in this stage for 24 seasons. The last time Athletic were in the final they lost 2-1 to Atlético de Madrid in 1985.

The last meeting

Curiously, the Basque Country club last won the cup the year before their last apearance when they played against FC Barcelona in the Bernabéu in 1984 thanks to a solitary goal from Endkia. That game has been remembered down the years for incidents on the pitch after the match.

1920 and 1932

Back in 1920, the two teams first met in the final when they played in El Molinón in Gijón and Barcelona ran out 2-0 winners thanks to goals from Martínez and Alcántara. Some 12 years later Barça and Athletic met again, this time in the Chamartín stadium in Madrid and the Basque out won this time 1-0 with Bata netting the winner.

1942: Copa del Generalísimo

The final in 1942 was a difficult encounter for both sides as they played in the post-war era and it was a hard-fought encounter. Escolà and Martín both scored twice for Barcelona while Iriondo, Elices and Zarra replied for the Athletic in a 4-3 win for the Catalan outfit.

1953: Kubala and Manchón

Kubala and Manchón were decisive when Barcelona met Athletic again eleven seasons on as they helped the team to a 2-1 win on June 21, 1953. Venancio scored for Athletic.