Saturday, February 15, 2025

Real Betis champion of the Copa del Rey first season 1976-1977

Last update March 14, 2019 by Javier Argudo

The season 1976-1977 It was very special for Real Betis. The set verdiblanco champion of the first King's Cup history was proclaimed (Until then, the tournament was called the Cup of Spain) and he ended a more than creditable fifth in the league. Only the champion Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Athletic Club Y UD Las Palmas They were ahead of the béticos.

FIRST KING CUP BETIS

But back to the topic at hand, let's focus on that first Copa del Rey won by the team led at the time by the technician Rafael Iriondo. As we say, That was the first after the death of dictator Francisco Franco so the tournament was renamed.

Real Betis Y Athletic Club de Bilbao were the teams that reached that final which was played in the Vicente Calderon Stadium. Betis eliminated Barakaldo, Sestao, Deportivo La Coruna, Valladolid, Hercules and Spanish. After 46 years the whole of Heliopolis reached a final.

Meanwhile, the Athletic Club, who was king at that time Cup, only he had to remove Elche, Seville and Salamanca since it entered the competition directly in the second round and contesting the UEFA Cup. Precisely, shortly before playing the final against Betis, Lions lost the European Cup final against Juventus.

Real Betis 1976-1977
11 Initial Real Betis in the final in 1977 against Athletic Club (Photo: ABC de Sevilla)

ESNAOLA STOPS THE PENALTY on IRIBAR

The final was one of the most dramatic in living memory. The game ended tied at two goals after extra time the score remained the same. The champion had to be decided in a penalty shootout that ended with eternal 8-7 favorable to the interests of Real Betis.

Both goalkeepers had to run a penalty each as they were needed 19 releases from the spot. Esnaola He was the star, scoring and stop the launch of Iribar, keeper of Athletic Club and one of the best players in its history.

Esnaola e Iribar
Esnaola and Iribar greet each other in the penalty shootout of that historic final (the Independent)

Thus the Real Betis He raised his first Cup. The heroes of that afternoon in the Vicente Calderon were: Esnaola, Biscuit, Biosca, Sabate, Cobo, López, Alabanda, Cardeñosa, García Soriano, Megido Y Benitez. Also they played Del Pozo and Eulate.

MOST READ THIS WEEK

The real Madrid 1995-96, the worst in modern history

The real Madrid 1995-96 it was a real ruin. And...

Alphonse Tchami: The Cameroonian from Boca Juniors who scored in La Bombonera

In 1995, Boca Juniors surprised the football world..

The cat’ Ablanedo, one of the best goalkeepers in the history of Spain

Is, definitely, one of the forgotten ones of football...

The sub World Cup 20 of 1979 in Japan: Maradona's first

The sub World Cup 20 of 1979, celebrated in Japan...

Teams with the most lost finals in the history of the Champions League

They say that nobody remembers the second and, in...

YOU MAY BE INTERESTED

Football shields rare and extravagant

The shield is one of the most sacred emblems..

Back home in the Celta de Vigo

It is difficult to leave your home and even more so if....

The players with most matches played in Serie A

Playing regularly in the elite is very....

Borislav Mihailov: The Bulgarian World Cup Goalkeeper 1994 who played with a wig

Borislav Mihailov, Bulgarian goalkeeper, left an indelible mark on....

Paul Breitner, one of the best german players ever

Paul Breitner is a German-born former footballer and coach..

Onesimo Sanchez, one of the best bargainers of 90

When a soccer fan of my generation is asked....

Related Articles

Popular Categories

spot_imgspot_img
error: Content is protected !!