Real Mallorca will play their fourth Copa del Rey final in their history after beating Real Sociedad in a penalty shoot-out at the Reale Arena on Tuesday night, and their Mexican coach Javier Aguirre’s second since his arrival in Spain in 2002.
The Palma side had not qualified for the decider since 2003, when they were crowned champions by beating Recreativo Huelva in Elche.
It is the only Copa del Rey trophy in the club’s 108-year history, the other two finals having been lost to Atletico Madrid in 1991 and Barcelona in 1998.
Javier Aguirre, Mallorca coach since March 2022, coached Osasuna in the 2005 final, which the Navarran side lost in extra time (2-1) to Betis.
Mallorca’s history in the Copa del Rey finals began to be written with Lorenzo Ferrer on the bench.
His team reached the decisive clash against Atlético de Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeú stadium after eliminating Sporting de Gijón in the semi-finals.
A goal by Alfredo in the 61st minute gave the colchoneros, coached by Iselin Santos Ovejero, the victory against the Mallorca team of Ezaki Badou, Miguel Ángel Nadal and Álvaro, among others.
Seven years later, Mallorca, coached by Argentinian coach Héctor Cúper, returned to play in a final that had become legendary for its dramatic outcome.
Facing them was Louis Van Gaal’s Barça on the bench, with world stars such as Figo, Luis Enrique, Rivaldo on the pitch.
The blaugranas were proclaimed champions in a penalty shoot-out (1-1 in normal time) against a Mallorca team that resisted heroically with nine players on the pitch, and in which Stankovic missed the penalty that gave his team the title.
In 2003, Gregorio Manzano’s Mallorca lifted the Copa del Rey trophy by beating Lucas Alcaraz’s Recreativo de Huelva 3-0 at the Martínez Valero stadium in Elche.
With Argentinians Leo Franco, Ariel “Caño” Ibagaza, Uruguayan Walter “Rifle” Pandiani and Cameroonian Samuel Eto’o, among others, Mallorca celebrated the first official title in their history in style.