In the first round of the King’s Cup, the upcoming matchup for Elche CF was confirmed after the draw conducted on Monday at the headquarters of the Royal Spanish Football Federation in Las Rozas. The Elche squad, a team from Division One, would normally expect a straightforward route only to discover that their path would lead through a preliminary round opponent. The slot was reserved for L’Alcora de Castellón, the local club from the northern region, which earned its place by navigating the preliminary stage. The single-elimination tie will be staged against Castellón’s home side, with the clash set for the weekend of November 12-13 after a pause in La Liga Santander for the Qatar World Cup.
Club Deportivo L’Alcora earned its Copa del Rey opportunity by winning the Nostra Copa, a new competition introduced by the Valencian Community Football Federation in the previous season. That victory granted them the chance to face another regional champion in a qualifying round. On June 6, they delivered a convincing 0-3 win away in Ceuta, a North African outpost that provided a historic platform for the club.
L’Alcora is a modest club with roots dating back to 1963. This season marks their first ever appearance in the Copa del Rey, competing in the Preferred category, which sits at the sixth tier of Spanish football. The team is guided by coach Vicente Pastor, and one of their players, Alex Felipe, has a notable connection to Elche: he wore the franciverde jersey during the 2016-2017 season when Elche played in the Segunda División B. The tie against Elche therefore holds extra significance for both sides, illustrating how the cup can bridge generations and careers within Spanish football.
The venue for the Castellón-Elche match had yet to be finalized. The concern centered on The Saltador, Castellón’s municipal stadium, which has repeatedly fallen short of RFEF requirements regarding lighting, turf quality, and the separation of stands necessary to safely host matches that will be broadcast on television. With the national spotlight on the tie, the organizers explored two viable alternatives to ensure compliance with standards and to maximize the match’s visibility. One option was playing at Castellón’s new Castalia stadium, and another possibility was the Mini Stadium at the Ciudad Deportiva Juan Manuel Llaneza, the training ground used by Villarreal CF. Both venues were evaluated to balance the need for proper facilities with the desire to preserve Castellón’s home advantage as much as possible.
The draw was celebrated by both clubs for different reasons. For L’Alcora, the chance to face a First Division rival within the official competition represents a historic milestone that could propel the club into the national spotlight and perhaps attract new supporters and investment. For the franciverdes, the match is a short and convenient journey that also positions them as potential trouble for a higher-ranked opponent. It is a fixture many Cup fans anticipate because knockout tournaments are known for upsets and dramatic moments that defy the regular-season pecking order.
Elche reached the last 16 in the King’s Cup in the previous season, only to be eliminated by Real Madrid in a dramatic finish at the Ilicitanos Martinez Valero. Gonzalo Verdu opened the scoring for the visitors in the 108th minute of extra time, but Isco and a dangerous late surge from Real Madrid overturned the result. These battles from last season’s edition provide context for the current tie, underscoring the Cup’s reputational weight and the pressure to advance through each round.