The Spanish Football Federation has moved 24 first-round Copa del Rey matches originally scheduled for 28 October, after the tragic railway accident in Toledo province that claimed 68 lives. Nine matches will now be played on Thursday, 29 October, with the rest spread across the next two weeks.
The new dates for the delayed ties
The rearrangement stretches the opening round into mid-November. Valencia now play Tavernes de la Valldigna on 10 November, Betis travel to Navalcarnero on 12 November, and Celta Vigo face Salamanca on 13 November.
The federation said in comments translated from Portuguese to A Bola: "A sad event forced the Spanish Federation to spread out one-day matches over the next two weeks." That is the public explanation for the change, and it leaves several clubs working around a staggered cup calendar rather than a single opening-night slate.
Clubs pushed into November
For Valencia, the delay comes while they sit 19th in La Liga with 6 points from 10 matches. Celta Vigo are 9th in La Liga with 12 points from 10 matches, and they are also 25th in the UEFA Europa League phase after three matches.
The cup changes do not alter the fact that the first round has been split apart by the federation's response to the accident. The fixture list now runs from 29 October into 13 November, with Oviedo, Peña Sport and Navalcarnero among the clubs set to appear across the reshuffled dates.
Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
