Copa de la España Libre
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Copa de la España Libre (Free Spain Cup), also referred to as the Trofeo Presidente de la República or the Copa de la República, was a football competition played in the Republican area of Spain during the Spanish Civil War. The competition, played out in June and July 1937, was won by Levante FC. For seventy years Levante FC unsuccessfully claimed this competition was the equivalent the Copa del Rey[1]. However in 2007, with support from the Congress of Deputies, this was acknowledged by the Spanish Football Federation. It is now officially recognised as a Copa del Rey win for Levante FC[2][3]
It was originally intended that the top four teams from the Mediterranean League would enter the competition, but FC Barcelona opted instead to tour Mexico and the United States. As a result Levante FC, who had finished fifth in the league, took their place. The other three teams to enter were Valencia CF, CE Espanyol and Girona FC. The first stage of the competition was played as a mini-league with the top two teams, Levante FC and Valencia FC, then qualifying for the final [4].
[edit] Group Stage Table
| Teams | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | GF | GA | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Levante FC | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 18 | 9 | 8 |
| Valencia FC | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 13 | 6 |
| CE Espanyol | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 16 | 6 |
| Girona FC | 6 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 11 | 15 | 4 |
[edit] Final
| July 18, 1937 |
Levante FC | 1–0 | Valencia CF | Montjuïc, Barcelona Attendance: Referee: |
| [ (Report)] |
[edit] References
- ^ Morbo: The Story of Spanish Football (2003), Phil Ball. [1]
- ^ www.elpais.com
- ^ Levante awarded 1937 Copa
- ^ www.rsssf.com
