In an especially intense week with three matches in just six days, Andorra will begin their journey in the Copa del Rey for the 2026/27 season with a visit to Varea, a Third Division team. They do so after the painful home defeat against Burgos just two days ago.
A setback that still stings, although the tricolor team must turn the page because the Copa does not wait or allow for distractions, especially against a highly motivated opponent that has started the season with very good momentum.
An undefeated opponent
Varea, tomorrow's opponent for the tricolors, currently occupies third place in Group XVI of the Tercera RFEF after four wins and four draws. They are undefeated, having conceded only 3 goals – while scoring 7 – and are one of the top candidates to fight for promotion. In fact, the Riojans have participated in the promotion playoffs in six of the last seven seasons, although without success.
For the past three seasons, they have achieved this under Adrián Gallego, who has been Varea's coach since the summer of 2023 and is now starting his fourth season as the team's head coach.
With experience in the Cup
The harlequin team is not new to this type of Copa del Rey knockout rounds, having faced Levante (0-3, 2023/24) and Las Palmas (0-4, 2019/20) in recent years. Despite the defeats, these matches were two of the great milestones for this Riojan club, in addition to their promotion to Segunda División B achieved in the 2008/09 season.
However, that was a turning point for Varea, as after being promoted to the bronze category, they sold their federative spot to UD Logroñés. Thus, founded in 1967, CD Varea had to be re-established in 2009.
Las Gaunas, the stadium for the game
Although the usual stadium of the Riojan team is the Ángel Aguado, the Cup match will be played at the iconic Las Gaunas stadium following the agreement reached between the harlequin club, the federation, and the City Council of La Rioja. It is the stadium where Varea also played in their last participation in the KO tournament against Levante.
Carles Manso: "We will have to be very attentive"
Regarding tomorrow's opponent, Carles Manso wanted to highlight the good performance at the start of the season that has led the Riojan team to reach matchday 8 of the league without knowing defeat: "They do many things well," said Manso, emphasizing above all the danger posed by the harlequin team in lateral crosses and direct play: "It will force us to be very attentive."
With everyone available in Logroño and Tenerife
The tricolor expedition departed this afternoon for the capital of La Rioja to play tomorrow evening's match against Varea. An expedition, however, that will not return to Andorra after the match and will head to the Canary Islands on Friday night.
For this reason, although only 23 players are included in the match squad, the team has traveled with the entire roster except for the long-term injured players Théo Le Normand and Gael Alonso. Returning to the group are Pau López and Andoni, who had missed the last matches due to injury, and also Marc Bombardó, who was substituted on Monday but without any serious injury.
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