Tragedy in Spain: Aguirre's and Fidalgo's Copa del Rey matches postponed
A collision between two trains in Toledo led to the suspension of 24 matches. Valencia and Betis already have new dates for their ties.
Javier Aguirre's Valencia and Álvaro Fidalgo's Real Betis will have to wait to make their Copa del Rey debuts. Their matches scheduled for Wednesday, October 28 were postponed following the rail accident in Urda, in the province of Toledo.
The collision between a Renfe AVE train and an Iryo train left at least 68 people dead, according to a provisional count. There were also injuries, and rail traffic between Madrid, Ciudad Real and Andalusia was halted.
In response to the tragedy, the Royal Spanish Football Federation suspended the 24 first-round matches planned for Wednesday afternoon and evening as a gesture of respect and solidarity with the victims. The measure was extended to every other match in its competitions scheduled for that day.
Valencia: hosts listed as the away side
El Vasco's side was due to face UE Tavernes de la Valldigna at Mestalla. The tie had a quirk: although it would be played at their own stadium, Valencia were listed as the away team after their opponent requested a change of venue.
The postponement reshuffled Valencia's schedule. The team will return to training on Thursday in Paterna to prepare for their next LaLiga fixture against Elche.
Betis: from Madrid back to Seville
Betis, meanwhile, were set to visit Navalcarnero. The squad had already flown into Madrid and, once the suspension was announced, decided to return to Seville.
The rescheduling pushes the Betis match into the November international break, which could leave Manuel Pellegrini without the players called up by their national teams.
The new dates
Both teams now have their Copa return locked in:
Times are for mainland Spain.
| Match | Date | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Tavernes–Valencia | Tuesday, November 10 | 21:00 |
| Navalcarnero–Betis | Thursday, November 12 | 19:00 |
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