The Copa del Rey has given much to football in Ibiza and Formentera. Probably more than any other competition, the centenary KO tournament has for decades been a spur for the clubs of Ibiza and Formentera and a guiding force towards professional football. At a time when it was not even dreamed of having a representative in the Second Division, as is currently the case with UD Ibiza, the Cup allowed fans on the islands to enjoy top-level squads and put the name of modest clubs in the national media spotlight.
Long before social media existed, in 1983, SD Portmany, then playing in the Tercera Regional, qualified for the third round of the Copa del Rey, which saw them face none other than Luis Aragones’ Atletico Madrid. The first leg was played in Sant Antoni at the beginning of November and the Ibizan side fought back to draw 2-2, a historic but insufficient result as the return leg was won 3-1 by the colchoneros. In the 80s, another famous team had already visited the coliseum portmanyÃ, Rayo Vallecano.
In the early 1970s, the historic SD Ibiza hosted Real Valladolid in the Copa del GeneralÃsimo, who were then playing in the Second Division, and two decades later the Pucela side returned to inaugurate the Can Misses stadium in the honour of the crowds. Vila also hosted teams such as Oviedo and Real Zaragoza in play-offs that remain etched in the memory of the long-time fans of the now defunct Sa Deportiva. In addition, in 1986 the Hospitalet team played a cup round in the Isla Blanca sports center against RCD Mallorca, who won 1-4.
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