Football
Adriana Garcia 7y

Jorge Perez wants to end 'grotesque' Copa del Rey final venue uncertainty

Jorge Perez has vowed to end the annual Copa del Rey final venue controversy if elected president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) later this year.

The RFEF has yet to decide on the venue for the game, which will see Cup holders Barcelona take on first-time finalists Deportivo Alaves on May 27.

El Mundo Deportivo reports that Barca want to host this year's final but a neutral ground is expected to be chosen by the RFEF and, according to Sport newspaper, the Catalan club will propose the 81,044-capacity Santiago Bernabeu stadium, the home of arch-rivals Real Madrid.

The Bernabeu did not stage last season's Copa del Rey final because of a Bruce Springsteen concert and Real president Florentino Perez has said the stadium will not be available this year either because of planned works.

While Perez has not said so, the sight of Barca's players lifting the Copa in the Santiago Bernabeu would not be pleasing for Real fans.

Alaves want the the game at Athletic Bilbao's San Mames stadium, just 62 kilometres away from their Mendizorrotza ground.

"The venue should be set before the start of the season in order to finish with this grotesque situation," Jorge Perez told Cadena Cope radio.

"The RFEF chooses the venue after speaking to the two clubs and discussing the options. If a consensus is not reached then the board of directors decides.

"The venue should not be imposed but I believe that an equidistant venue should be selected."

Atletico Madrid's Vicente Calderon hosted last year's final between Barca and Sevilla and is a strong contender to have the event one last time with the stadium set to close at the end of the season.

However, a section of Atletico fans are opposed to that idea as they want their team to be the last to play a game at the venue.

A Twitter hashtag #Noalafinaldecopaenelcalderon (no to the final at the Calderon) was trending in Spain this week.

Jorge Perez, who will run for president and challenge his former boss Angel Maria Villar in the elections set to take place in May, believes a "fixed venue" would be an ideal solution.

"I'm a fan of the fixed venue idea and I like the Bernabeu stadium and Atletico's future stadium (Wanda Metropolitano)," he said. "It would be like a loan, just as the stadiums do when they host a concert."

Atletico aim to start the 2017-18 season in the Wanda Metropolitano, a new 67,000-seater ground.

Real have hosted the event just once in the last 10 years -- a derby between Madrid and Atletico in May 2013.

Arch-rivals Barca have reached the final in five of the past six seasons.

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