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A second-half Mikel Oyarzabal penalty was all that was required to seal victory in the all-Basque Copa del Rey final in Seville on Saturday. His Real Sociedad team won their first piece of silverware since 1987, seeing off old rivals Athletic Bilbao in the process, claiming the postponed 2020 title. Athletic don’t have to wait long for another opportunity; they face Barcelona in the 2021 final a week on Saturday, also in Seville.
The long wait is over
A LOOK AT LA LIGA

The long wait is over

Real Sociedad have constantly operated in the shadows of their illustrious Basque neighbours Athletic Club, but their approach to youth has paid off

Rob Palmer

Friday, 9 April 2021, 16:31

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Mention Basque football to anyone with a modicum of La Liga knowledge and they will tell you all about Athletic Bilbao and their locals-only playing policy.

Real Sociedad rarely get a mention. They don't play in a stadium which is nicknamed 'The Cathedral'. They aren't the fourth most successful team in La Liga. They don't embody the region's battle for autonomy. They haven't won the Spanish Cup on 23 occasions.

Athletic Bilbao are very much the flag bearers for the autonomous community. La Real are the 'not very noisy' neighbours.

Athletic celebrated winning the Spanish Super Cup in January; but Real are rejoicing in claiming the Copa del Rey after a year-long wait to get the game played.

Nothing about this final was normal. Ideally, it would have been played in front of a stadium full of screaming Basques as the season's finale. Given the uniqueness of the two clubs meeting each other, the footballing authorities did everything they could to delay the event until supporters could attend in the flesh. Ultimately, the pandemic won out; the teams had to do battle in an empty stadium in neutral Seville, 350 days after the game was originally planned.

It was a victory for Real Sociedad and success for their model of a modern club. When David Silva left Manchester City last year, he had the choice of scores of clubs, yet chose to head to San Sebastián to see out the autumn days of his career. The former Spanish international is a rarity though, he takes his place in a team that shows just how a club can reflect a region.

Of those who got to play in the Copa Final, ten are from the Basque Country. Leading them is a man steeped in the club's history. Imanol Alguacil was a steady player of the late 90s who returned to the club to work with the youth. Eight of the final team followed him from the academy as Real Sociedad did a mini-Barcelona and found the talent from within.

The players were like sons to Alguacil. In fact, he was closer to the players than his family. During the pandemic he chose to stay within the football bubble rather than return to his family. His wife has seen him on just a handful of occasions since Christmas and, even then, she didn't really see him as he insisted on wearing a mask.

The end result is a historic moment for a club that operates impressively on a sensible budget and provides a pathway for local youngsters to make it into top-flight football.

It was a long wait to win a trophy and they will make the most of every day they can claim to be champions.

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