Athletic Club Set to Face Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa in Copa del Rey Round of 16

Athletic Club is set to face Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa in the Round of 16 of the Copa del Rey, as announced during the draw held on Wednesday at the Ciudad del Fútbol. The match is scheduled for next week, with the exact date and time yet to be determined. Should Athletic exit the Supercopa semifinals against Barcelona tonight, the game is likely to take place on Tuesday, January 13.

Due to its status as a Supercopa team, Athletic Club has drawn a lower-division opponent. They will compete against CYD, coached by Cuco Ziganda, who has a history with Athletic both as a player and coach. Ziganda and current coach Ernesto Valverde share a strong relationship from their time together as teammates in the Athletic first team.

This will be the second time Valverde leads Athletic against Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa, having previously faced them in the Copa del Rey’s Round of 32 during the 2004-05 season. In that encounter, the red-and-white team eliminated Gimnástica Segoviana in the preceding round, and the match in León went to extra time, ultimately decided by a goal from Ezquerro in the 108th minute. Another goal was scored by Orbaiz, who is now part of Valverde’s coaching staff, while Paulino netted the goal for the León side.

Athletic will travel to León the day before the match, and CYD anticipates a full stadium, as nearly 14,000 tickets are expected to sell out. The atmosphere promises to be lively, with significant support for Athletic from its many fan clubs in León and the surrounding province, including the Peña Catedral de León.