An enviable record: ninth Copa del Rey semi-final in a row

Another historic achievement for FC Barcelona after their 6-1 comeback win against Sevilla sees the blaugranes through 6-3 on aggregate to their ninth successive Copa del Rey semi-final where they will face either Valencia, Betis or one of Real Madrid and Girona. Yet another statistic that backs up Barça’s claim to be the King of Cups. No other team has achieved such a run, a record that the blaugranes have extended for the second year in a row. Last season they achieved something that had never been done before, reaching the semi-final for the eighth season in a row. The record had been previously held by Barça between 1924 and 1930 and by Valencia between 1940 and 1946.

The Barça team of 1924 to 1930 was one of the greatest in the Club’s history. With legendary players such as goalkeeper Plattkó, the midfielder Sancho and winger Vicenç Piera alongside names such as Paulino Alcántara, Samitier and Arocha Barça began to build their formidable record in the competition. Plattkó, Piera and Samitier were present in all seven semi-finals in the cup and Samitier, Alcántara and Arocha are all in the list of top goalscorers in the Copa del Rey, alongside one Lionel Messi.

From 2011 in the semi-finals

The blaugranes’ dominance of the competition began in the season 2010/11 with Josep Guardiola’s Barça side. In that squad one could find the names of Gerard Piqué, Sergi Roberto, Sergio Busquets and Leo Messi. Four key members of the current squad under Ernesto Valverde with Barça’s consistency cannot be doubted in the competition under five separate coaches: Pep Guardiola, Tito Vilanova, Tata Martino, Luis Enrique and Ernesto Valverde.

In five of those years Barça have gone on to win the competition: 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018; a record worthy of the king of cups.