Athletic Club vs FC Barcelona: The King of Cups claims one more title
FC Barcelona have won their 26th Copa del Rey title after beating Athletic Club, the team with the second most Cup titles in the competition, by 0-3. This was Pep Guardiola’s 12th final on the Barça bench, he leaves the team after winning 11 of those finals and only losing one.
Barcelona (FCB).- The Copa del Rey Final ended in the same way that the 2009 Final did, with an Azulgrana victory. In that 2009 Final, Barça kicked off a a glorious title-winning era, the 1-4 over Athletic Club clinched the first title of Guardiola’s 14 trophies at the head of Barça’s bench. This Friday, FC Barcelona won their 26th Copa del Rey title thanks to the 0-3 scoreline in Guardiola’s last match at the Barça helm. With this new title, Barça consolidate themselves as the team with the most Cup crowns, followed by Athletic Club (23) and Real Madrid (18).
Four years, three finals
The Copa del Rey is the oldest tournament in Spanish football. Barça have played in 36 Cup Finals and have only failed to lift the Cup 10 times. The first title was won in 1910 and the latest one was won this evening at the Vicente Calderón. Many of the same players that won this evening also participated in Barça’s successful Cup bid in 2009 and the defeat in 2010 to Real Madrid by 0-1. This was the third Cup Final in four years for Guardiola’s team.
12th final under Guardiola
This Copa del Rey final was the 12th final for the Azulgrana manager since he started managing the team. Guardiola’s record in finals is nearly impeccable: of the 12 finals that he’s led his team, Barça have won 11 (Cup, Champions League, European and Spanish Super Cups and the Club World Cup in 2009; the Spanish Super Cup in 2010; the Champions League, European and Spanish Super Cups and Club World Cup in 2011; and the Copa del Rey in 2012) and only lost 1 (the Cup in 2011). In total, the manager has won 14 out of the 17 competitions he’s led his team in.
16 goals in 10 finals
Leo Messi once again showed his quality in this evening’s match. This was his 10th, of the 12 finals that Guardiola has managed Barça in, that he’s scored in. In total, the Argentine has scored 16 goals in the finals that he’s played in. He scored one goal in the 2009 Cup final, one in the 2009 Champions League final, two in the 2009 Spanish Super Cup, one in the 2009 Club World Cup final, three in the 2010 Spanish Super Cup, one in the 2011 Champions League final, three in the 2012 Spanish Super Cup (one in the away leg and two in the return leg), one in the 2011 European Super Cup, two in the 2011 Club World Cup, and, lastly, XX this Friday. No other player in the history of FC Barcelona has scored in so many finals. The Argentine has scored 253 official goals for Barça in his career, and he claimed his fourth title of the season this evening.
A complete trophy cabinet
Besides the 26 Copa del Rey titles, FC Barcelona have an enviable trophy cabinet. In it sit four Champions League titles, two Club World Cups, four Cup Winner Cups, three Copa Ferias, four European Super Cups, two Copas Latinas, four Copa Pirineos, 21 Liga titles, three Copas Eva Duarte de Perón, 10 Spanish Super Cups, two Copas de la Liga, one Liga Medditerránea, one Liga Catalana, 23 Catalonia Championships and six Catalonia Cups.
FC Barcelona's Spanish titles (62)
FC Barcelona are the Club with the most Spanish titles (62), beating Real Madrid's 60:
21 Liga titles (1928/29, 1944/45, 1947/48, 1948/49, 1951/52, 1952/53, 1958/59, 1959/60, 1973/74, 1984/85, 1990/91, 1991/92, 1992/93, 1993/94, 1997/98, 1998/99, 2004/05, 2005/06, 2008/09, 2009/10, 2010/11)
26 Cup titles (1910, 1912, 1913, 1920, 1922, 1925, 1926, 1928, 1942, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1957, 1959, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1978, 1981, 1983, 1988, 1990, 1997, 1998, 2009, 2012)
10 Spanish Super Cups (1983, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010 and 2011)
2 Liga Cups (1982-1983, 1985-1986)
3 Eva Duarte de Perón Cups (1949, 1952, 1953)