The Copa de la España Libre 1937 (Free Spain Cup), also referred to as the Copa de la España Libre – Trofeo Presidente de la República 1937, was a football competition played in the Republican area of Spain during the Spanish Civil War. The competition, played out in June and July 1937, was won by Levante FC.
 Levante FC, champions | |
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Country | Spanish Republic |
| Teams | 4 |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Levante FC (1st title) |
| Runner-up | Valencia FC |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 12 |
History
editIt was originally intended that the top four teams from the Mediterranean League would enter the competition, but FC Barcelona opted instead to tour Mexico and the United States. As a result, Levante FC, who had finished fifth in the league, took their place. The other three teams to enter were Valencia CF, CE Espanyol and Girona FC. The first stage of the competition was played as a mini-league with the top two teams, Levante and Valencia, then qualifying for the final.[1]
For seventy years Levante unsuccessfully claimed this competition was the equivalent the Copa del Rey.[2] From 2007, the Congress of Deputies urged the Royal Spanish Football Federation to recognise it;[3][4][5] on 25 March 2023, the RFEF recognised it,[6] but not as a Copa del Rey.[7]
Group Stage Table
edit| Teams | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | GF | GA | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Levante FC | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 18 | 9 | 8 |
| Valencia FC | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 13 | 6 |
| CE Espanyol | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 16 | 6 |
| Girona FC | 6 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 11 | 15 | 4 |
Final
edit|
Levante
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Valencia
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| Copa de la España Libre 1937 Winners |
|---|
| Levante FC 1st Title |
References
edit- ^ Spain - Copa de España Libre 1937, RSSSF
- ^ Ball, Phil (2003). Morbo: The Story of Spanish Football
- ^ www.elpais.com
- ^ "Villar demora la Copa del Levante". Archived from the original on 2012-03-18. Retrieved 2009-06-19.
- ^ La FEF no reconocerá al Barça la Liga del año 37
- ^ Rodilla, Noel (25 March 2023). "La Federación reconoce la Copa del Levante de 1937 y la del Deportivo de 1912" [The Federation recognizes Levante's 1937 Cup and Deportivo's 1912 Cup]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 August 2023.
- ^ "TRACK RECORD - The team in white win their 20th Copa trophy. - LIST OF WINNERS OF THE SPANISH CHAMPIONSHIP - COPA DE SM EL REY". RFEF.es. Royal Spanish Football Federation. 7 May 2023. Archived from the original on 7 May 2023. Retrieved 10 May 2023.