Next Friday, February 9, EON Horneo Alicante will meet an Alicante rival in the second round of the XLIX Copa de SM El Rey, a nationally significant handball competition in Spain. The official draw for this stage is scheduled for 12:00 on the same day at the Royal Spanish Handball Federation headquarters. Among the possible opponents, four clubs from ASOBAL are in contention, reflecting the strength of the top tier as the tournament progresses toward the knockout rounds.
The Alicante team is positioned in Group C with Fundación Agustinos Alicante, Traspami UD Ibiza HC Eivissa, Dólmenes Antequera, ID Energy Caserío Ciudad Real and Valinox Novás. All six clubs competing in this group come from the Men’s Silver Honor Division, creating a dynamic mix of established ASOBAL teams and emerging squads vying for a shot at the quarterfinals and beyond.
In this phase, Group C’s six teams will be paired against the Group D lineup, which includes four ASOBAL clubs: TM Benidorm, Recoletas Atlético Valladolid, Frigoríficos del Morrazo, and Viveros Herol BM Nava; alongside two Silver Division teams: BM Guadalajara and Club Cisne Colegio Los Sauces. The structure ensures a blend of high-level showdowns and opportunities for the Silver teams to challenge the greater-ladder clubs, heightening the competition’s intensity as the cup unfolds.
The tie will be decided in a single-match format scheduled for Wednesday, March 20, with the venue determined by the hosting designation for Group C. Consequently, EÓN Horneo Alicante will host the second-round clash on its home court, giving the team the advantage of familiar surroundings, supportive fans, and a controlled environment as it seeks progression in the tournament. The winners from this cup day, six teams in total, will move forward to the third round, where the stakes rise and the draw will place them into the next tier of knockout ties, bringing closer a chance at the title and a place in accolades that accompany success in the national cup competition.