Concurso España Explained

Founded:1912
Abolished:1913
Region:
Most Successful Club:Deportivo La Coruña (1 title)

The Concurso España was a knockout football competition in Spanish football, organized by the Federación Española de Clubs de Foot-ball (FECF), a forerunner of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF). It was created as a competition where foreign players were allowed to play, after they had been banned from the Copa del Rey due to disputes that arose between the clubs during the 1911 tournament. Only a single edition was completed in 1912, which was won by Deportivo La Coruña. It was officially recognised by the board of directors of the RFEF on 25 March 2023.

In 1913, the Real Unión Española de Clubs de Foot-ball (RUECF), a split of the FECF, organized a similar tournament called Copa España but the final round was not played.

History

Ban of foreign players from Copa del Rey

During the course of the 1911 Copa del Rey a great controversy broke out concerning the alignment of foreign players. Deportivo La Coruña and Academia de Ingenieros withdrew before the draw to protest fielding foreign players in the tournament. During the tournament, there were more protests and withdrawal threats from some teams. After the first round match between Athletic Bilbao and Fortuna Vigo, Real Sociedad protested the match, claiming the illegal selection of two English players in Athletic's side: the FECF rejected the protest and Real Sociedad withdrew in protest. After the remaining teams supported Real Sociedad and most of them threatened to also withdraw, Athletic decided not to use these players in their matches, but declined Fortuna Vigo's request to replay their match. This dispute was a major factor in Athletic Bilbao's decision to select only local Basque players from then on, a club policy which survived into the 21st century.[1]

For the 1912 Copa del Rey the FECF did not allow the alignment of foreign players. Specifically, in its 7th point of the tournament rules, it established that: "the players who make up the teams for this championship and their substitutes must be Spanish, considering as such those who are according to the Constitution of the Spanish State”.[2]

FECF Concurso España (1912–13)

In May 1912, the FECF assembly decided to create a new tournament in which foreign players could participate.[3] The idea was agreed six months earlier, as a compensation for not allowing them in the Copa del Rey.[4] [5] [6] The competition was called Concurso España and it was projected to be played every year.[7] [8] [9] Any club affiliated to the FECF could register, but finally teams from outside Galicia did not attend and only Deportivo La Coruña, Vigo FC and Pontevedra Sporting Club registered, the latter withdrawing before the tournament was held, thus leaving the competition in a head-to-head between Deportivo and Vigo. The final match started in A Coruña on 7 September 1912. When the result was 4–3 in favor of Deportivo and left a few minutes to the final whistle, the match was suspended due to lack of light. The remaining minutes were played the following day. The match ended without modifications to the score, winning Deportivo La Coruña the tournament. This was followed by a friendly match between the two clubs won by Vigo 3–2.[10] This tournament was officially recognised by the board of directors of the RFEF on 25 March 2023.[11] [12] [13]

Also, during the aforementioned FECF assembly of May 1912, there was a federative split. Some clubs, including Real Sociedad and FC Barcelona, left the FECF after various disagreements,[14] founding at the end of the same year the Real Unión Española de Clubs de Foot-ball (RUECF) in San Sebastian. The FECF published the rules for the dispute of the second edition of the Concurso España, whose finals would begin on 6 September 1913.[15] [16] However, it did not take place because on that date the two aforementioned federations were in the process of dissolution and formation of the new Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).[17] [18]

RUECF Copa España (1913)

The new RUECF immediately began to organize its own tournaments in parallel, firstly with the dispute of its own 1913 Copa del Rey, and after that with its tournament called Copa España in which foreign players were allowed.[19] [20] [21] The participating clubs were FC Barcelona, Català FC, Pontevedra Auténtico, Real Club Coruña, Irún Sporting, Club Deportivo Bilbao and Real Sociedad.[22] FC Barcelona, Pontevedra Auténtico and Real Sociedad qualified for the final round, which had been scheduled for July 25, 26 and 27.[23] [24] [25] However, later it was postponed to the end of August,[26] but it did not take place because at that time the RUECF and the FECF were in the process of dissolution and formation of the new RFEF.[17] [18]

Notes and References

  1. News: Athletic de Bilbao, cien años sin extranjeros . Athletic Bilbao, a hundred years without foreigners . es . . 18 November 2011 . 6 May 2023.
  2. News: 29 January 1912. es. 4. Campeonato de España de Foot-ball Association. Bases especiales para 1912. Championship of Spain of Foot-ball Association. Special rules to 1912. Heraldo de Madrid. 7 . 731. 6 May 2023.
  3. News: 16 May 1912. es. 5. Última hora. La asamblea de la Federación Española de C.F.. Breaking. FECF Assembly. Mundo Deportivo. 330. 6 May 2023.
  4. News: Federación Española de Clubs de foot-ball. . FECF . Heraldo de Madrid . 710 . 8 January 1912 . 7 . 5 . 9 May 2023 . es .
  5. News: La junta general de la F.E.C.F. . General Board of the FECF . Mundo Deportivo . 307 . 7 December 1911 . 2 . 9 May 2023 . es .
  6. News: Asamblea de la F.E.C.F. . FECF assembly . Mundo Deportivo . 311 . 4 January 1912 . 4 . 9 May 2023 . es .
  7. News: 7 August 1912. es. 3. Deportes y turismo. Foot-ball.. Sport and tourism. Foot-ball.. La Vanguardia. 14 . 251. 6 May 2023.
  8. News: 15 August 1912. es. 3. Foot-Ball. Concurso España. Football. Spain Competition. Mundo Deportivo. 344. 6 May 2023.
  9. News: 15 August 1912. es. 4. Foot-Ball. Concurso España. Football. Spain Competition. Mundo Deportivo. 344. 6 May 2023.
  10. News: 15 September 1912. es. 5. Copa "ESPAÑA" de la Federación Española de Clubs de football. "Spain" cup of the FECF. Vida Sportiva. 17. 6 May 2023.
  11. Web site: ACUERDOS ADOPTADOS, POR UNANIMIDAD, EN REUNIÓN DE LA JUNTA DIRECTIVA DE LA RFEF CELEBRADA EL DÍA 25 DE MARZO DE 2023 . Real Federación Española de Fútbol . 3.- Reconocer la oficialidad de la competición Concurso España y conceder la distinción de Campeón del año 1912 al Real Club Deportivo de La Coruña. . es . AGREEMENTS ADOPTED, UNANIMOUSLY, AT A MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE RFEF HELD ON MARCH 25, 2023 . 3.- Recognize the official status of the Spain Competition and grant the distinction of Champion of the year 1912 to the Real Club Deportivo de La Coruña. . 18 May 2024 .
  12. Web site: 25 March 2023. es. La RFEF reconoce al Levante como campeón de la Copa de la República de 1937 y al Deportivo del Concurso de España 1912. The RFEF recognizes Levante as winner of 1937 Republic Cup, and Deportivo as winner of 1912 Spain Competition. RFEF.es. 6 May 2023.
  13. Web site: Luis Rubiales entregará este viernes la Copa de la República de 1937 al Levante . Luis Rubiales will present the 1937 Republic Cup to Levante this Friday . 29 March 2023. RFEF.es. es . La junta directiva de la RFEF, en la misma cita del pasado sábado, también reconoció la oficialidad de la competición Concurso España y le concedió al Real Club Deportivo de La Coruña el título de campeón del año de 1912. . The board of directors of the RFEF, at the same meeting last Saturday, also recognized the official status of the Spain Competition and awarded the Real Club Deportivo de La Coruña the title of champion of the year of 1912. . 18 May 2024.
  14. News: La asamblea de la federación. Retirada de varios clubs . The assembly of the federation. Some clubs withdraw . ABC . 530 . 17 May 1912 . 2 . 19 . es . 8 May 2023 .
  15. News: 21 July 1913. es. 4. Fútbol. Real Federación española de Clubs de foot-ball. —Concurso España.— Segundo año. Football. RFECF. —Spain Competition.— Second year.. Heraldo de Madrid. 8 . 268. 6 May 2023.
  16. News: 28 July 1913. es. 5. Futbolerías. (Continuación). Football notes. (Continuation). Heraldo de Madrid. 8 . 275. 6 May 2023.
  17. Web site: Vicent Masià. June 2011. es. La Federación Española de Fútbol (I). The Spanish Football Federation (I). La Futbolteca. 6 May 2023.
  18. Book: ¡Amberes! Allí nació la furia española . Félix Martialay . January 2000 . 9788492109777 . Real Federación Española de Fútbol . 75–84 . CIHEFE . es. 6 May 2023.
  19. News: 26 December 1912. es. 2. La Unión Española de Clubs de Foot-ball. The UECF. Mundo Deportivo. 363. 6 May 2023.
  20. News: 2 January 1913. 3. es. La Unión Española de Clubs de Foot-ball. Reglamento. The UECF. Regulations. Mundo Deportivo. 364. 6 May 2023.
  21. Web site: 10 April 1913. es. 4. Vida deportiva. Copa España. Sport life. Spain Cup. Euzkadi. 67. 19 May 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20230409200718/http://www.liburuklik.euskadi.eus/jspui/show?namicus=PV-1&itemFolder=bfb2&fecha=1913_04_10 . 9 April 2023 . dead.
  22. News: 1 May 1913. es. 3. Real Unión Española de Clubs de Foot-ball. RUECF. Vida Sportiva. 32. 6 May 2023.
  23. News: 12 July 1913. es. 1. Foot-ball. Cuestión resuelta. Football. Issue resolved. El Noroeste. 6 . 525. 6 May 2023.
  24. News: 22 July 1913. es. 1. Notas de Sport. Sport notes. El Eco de Galicia. 2 . 140. 6 May 2023.
  25. News: 22 July 1913. es. 1. Notas de Sport. Sport notes. El Noroeste. 6 . 535. 6 May 2023.
  26. News: 23 July 1913. es. 1. Crónica regional. Coruña. Regional chronicle. Coruña. El Correo de Galicia. 3 . 706. 6 May 2023.

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