Sporting de Hortaleza, Sevilla's rival in the knockout phase of the Copa del Rey, has secured a place to host the decisive match at the ElVal stadium, in Alcalá de Henares. The decision comes after the club could not use its own field, GarcíaPlaza, for not meeting the requirements of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).
The Madrid team, which competes in the First Provincial of Madrid, had already played the first day in a neutral stadium after the controversial return match against Atlético UniónGüímar from Tenerife. For the second match, Sporting de Hortaleza tried to negotiate the use of the Butarque stadium, owned by Leganés. However, the same venue was reserved for a Leganés match against Trival the day before the match with Sevilla, forcing the club to look for another alternative.
After several efforts, the conversations with the Real Sociedad Deportiva Alcalá were successfully completed. ElVal, municipal stadium of the city of Alcalá de Henares, was built in 1973 and offers a capacity of 7,000 spectators, meeting RFEF standards. The Real Sociedad Deportiva Alcalá, which plays in the Second RFEF, has offered to host the venue for the match.
Sporting de Hortaleza will face UDLasPalmas in the same phase of the Cup on October 27, while the match that will decide Sevilla's classification will be played on October 29 at 9:00 p.m. With the new stadium secured, Sporting de Hortaleza will be able to count on the support of its fans in an environment that guarantees the safety and quality of the game.
Sevilla, for its part, is preparing for the duel with the expectation of taking advantage of playing at home, although Sporting de Hortaleza has demonstrated its ability to compete at the national level. The result of the second day will determine whether Sevilla advances to the next round or whether Sporting de Hortaleza achieves a memorable feat in the competition.