The handball King’s Cup defines its roadmap

Madrid, May 12, 2025.- The Superior Sports Council (CSD) has hosted this Monday the draw for the final phase of the King's Cup of handball, which will be held from June 6 to 8 in Irun.

The Secretary of State for Sport, José Manuel Rodríguez Uribes, presided over the draw accompanied by the president of the Royal Spanish Handball Federation, Francisco V. Blázquez; and the mayor of the host city of the final phase, Cristina Laborda; and the director of Sports of the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa, Roberto Ramajo.

Together with them, the coaches and captains of the eight participating teams.

The quarterfinals crosses will be as follows:

• Bidasoa Irun-Bathco Torrelavega
• Handball Alcobendas-ABANCA Ademar de León
• Logroño La Rioja-Bada Huesca
• Barack-Recoletas Atlético Valladolid

"Luck is out"

"Luck is out, but this is the only thing that has to do with luck here. Everything else is work, it is talent, it is union; and in the end, the fruits are there. We are going to enjoy a wonderful Copa del Rey, with sport as a backdrop, as a backbone of the country, because only sport builds these links," said CSD President José Manuel Rodríguez Uribes.

The Secretary of State for Sport also wanted to highlight the "excellent health of Spanish handball" and recalled that this weekend Huesca was able to celebrate the classification of Hispanics for the European of 2026. Precisely, Rodríguez Uribes stressed that the clubs "are responsible for planting a seed that germinates" with the success of the national teams.

The president of the Royal Spanish Handball Federation, Francisco V. Blázquez commented that "Irun hosts for the first time the Copa del Rey, the flagship competition of Spanish handball, which brings together eight of the best teams in Spain with their cadet teams".

The federative leader, in addition, pointed out that "handball enjoys an unbeatable health, that is something we have seen in the last events organized in Manzanares, in Ciudad Real, in Huesca… and from the Royal Spanish Handball Federation we will continue working hand in hand with the clubs, because the basis of success is the work of territorial federations, clubs, coaches and players".

The mayor of Irun, Cristina Laborda, said that it is "an honor to represent the city that will host the final phase of the King's Cup of handball, where we will receive the best teams on the national scene and celebrate together the passion for this sport that unites us so much… because Irun is a land of handball". The Copa del Rey is, for the mayor, a "unique opportunity to share with the rest of the country what we are and represent; in Irun handball is not only lived, projected… and lived with respect, promoting the flagship values of this sport".

Roberto Ramajo, Sports Director of the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa, added: “Gipuzkoa is handball and it’s not something I think. It’s a fact backed up by the data.” And by way of example he has taken the Hispanics: "Jordi himself was training in Irun, we have two players in the Gipuzkoa team like Imanol Garciandia and Kauldi Odriozola, historical like Julen Aginagalde… and it is the sport that has grown the most in Gipuzkoa after football, with an increase of 27%".