Jemez wants single-leg Copa

Rayo Vallecano Coach Paco Jemez echos comments by Barcelona counterpart Luis Enrique and calls for the Copa del Rey to be played in single-leg ties.

Barca play the first leg of their Copa tie on Wednesday at minnows Villanovense and Enrique said at his pre-match Press conference that the competition would be better off with standalone encounters.

“I totally agree. I think the calendar is crowded enough to have a Cup like they do in England,” Jemez said, Marca reports, when Enrique’s position was put to him.

“A one-off game is much better because it gives possibilities to the smaller teams to go even further and clean up their coffers, since a small team going through several rounds and playing several Primera teams can fix a debt.”

Jemez also complained about the scheduling of the last round of fixtures of 2015, when Rayo are set to be at home to Atletico Madrid on the same day as a traditional athletic event, the San Silvestre, which uses their Vallecas home as the finish line.

“The last four games, we’ve played Espanyol on Friday, Eibar on Sunday, Granada on Saturday and Getafe on Monday,” he pointed out.

“December 31 is a weekday, a lot of people work in the afternoon and there is a race that involves many people.

“The San Silvestre is something historic that must be taken into account. As a team we adapt to whatever, tell us where to play and when, but we want to take care of our fans.”

Tags Paco Jemez
La Liga - Club News