ElPozo Murcia Costa Cálida and Barça are set to face off in the final of the 35th edition of the Spanish Cup in Cartagena. Jamoneros and azulgranas will once again vie for the cup title. Two years after a controversial match in Jaén, which Diego Giustozzi labeled as “the biggest scandal in the history of this sport. From now on, this sport will never be the same.”
In the penalty shootout, referees Aitor Felipe Madorran, from the Basque committee, and David Urdanoz Apezteguia, from the Navarrese committee, reviewed a stop by goalkeeper Juanjo Angosto on Pito with video arbitration. While ElPozo was already celebrating the title on the field.
The Cieza goalkeeper had stepped forward and was not on the line at the time of the shot, granting Pito a second chance, which he took advantage of, breathing new life into his team. Referees also ordered another shot to be retaken, this time in favor of ElPozo, when goalkeeper Miquel Feixas went ahead of Mati Rosa. The Argentine missed the second shot, and on the subsequent attempt, Brazilian Marcenio scored, securing the title for the Catalans.
On April 3, 2022, at the Olivo Arena, regulation time ended with a 2-2 tie, and overtime concluded with a 3-3 deadlock. Following the final, ElPozo Murcia’s Taynan da Silva, a Kazakh-Brazilian player, was banned for 15 games after headbutting one of the referees, according to the RFEF Competition Committee.
Committee
The committee also imposed a 4-match ban on his teammate, Dario Gil, after the Integrity Department denounced some statements made by the Murcian wing on Teledeporte. Expressing their disagreement with the penalty shootout’s outcome. “They have robbed us from beginning to end. We didn’t expect what was going to happen in the penalty shootout,” he said.
ElPozo Murcia’s current coach, Dani Martínez, declared that “I see the team very hungry to win. The boys will keep in mind what happened in that final, although those things don’t count later. It doesn’t matter who the rival is. That day was hard; we had to swallow a lot of poison.”
The ham team has not won the Spanish Cup since 2014, and their last title dates back to seven years ago, the Copa del Rey 2017. Since then, the Murcian squad has lost five consecutive finals in national and international competitions.
The 2024 edition also comes with arbitration controversy. In the first quarterfinal match, Coach Jesús Velasco did not attend the press conference. In his place, his second coach spoke, Jordi Illa. Who admitted to journalists that the Toledo coach was noticeably angry about the refereeing performance of Fermín Sánchez Molina and Carlos Rodrigo de Miguel. “It’s a bit heated, since I didn’t really agree with some decisions that have been made throughout the game, and I preferred not to be in the press room so as not to say anything that was inappropriate,” he said.
The Paradox
Paradoxically, veteran Juanjo Angosto was the hero of ElPozo’s qualification for this Sunday’s final after stopping a penalty against Brazilian Arnon. Jaén Paraíso Interior’s coach, Dani Rodríguez, was very critical of the performance of the Castilian-Leonese Antonio Navarro Rodríguez-Villanueva and the Riojan Alberto Sarabia Eguiluz. “I think we feel harmed. Not a single whistle fallen on our side. Three years with this refereeing couple and not a single good statistic: the goal disallowed, the three indirect free kicks, I think Juanjo is ahead,” he said.
The criticism focused on a goal by Renato that was not awarded after being reviewed by technological support, with a lack of Taborda’s serve. The foul that caused the own goal by Míchel with four seconds left, and the non-repetition of the decisive penalty when considering that the ElPozo goalkeeper was not on the line.
Background
With this background, a high-voltage match is expected. The Technical Referee Committee, led by Pedro Galán, has designated the Andalusian couple formed by Juan José Cordero Gallardo and Pedro Carrillo Arroyo for this afternoon’s final.
Depleted by injuries, Barça will seek its seventh Spanish Cup in the fifth final it has played in the last six editions of the tournament. Jesus Velasco hopes to recover the Portuguese closure Erick Mendonça, absent from the first two games due to a gastrointestinal virus. After winning three cup titles in that interval, they face their most favorable rival, and Barça has never lost a final against ElPozo. In the 13 clashes for a title with the Murcians, the Barça team has always emerged victorious. 4 in the Spanish Cup (2011, 2013, 2019, and 2022), 3 in the Copa del Rey (2021, 2013, and 2014), 2 in the Super Cup (2013 and 2019), 3 in the League (2012, 2013, and 2019), and one in the UEFA Futsal Champions League (2020). A devastating statistic.
