Ander Izagirre: Real Sociedad’s curious Cup lore and a 2026 wager | OneFootball

La Real are a step from a delicious oddity, Sadiq Umar could be listed as a Copa winner with Real Sociedad despite being knocked out by Athletic in the same edition.

According to Diario Vasco, he converted a penalty for Real against Reus, then joined Valencia and went out in the quarter-finals, which set up Athletic as Real’s semi-final opponents.

This club’s Cup history revels in quirks. In 1909, too young to enter, San Sebastián Foot-Ball Club used the cyclists’ name, became Ciclista Foot-Ball Club and won.

Monsieur Comet’s supposed curse lingered, three lost finals to Barcelona across decades, then a fourth in 1988 despite favouritism, when John Toshack hinted three key players had already agreed to join the rivals.

In 1986 he hauled the squad from Asturias to Zubieta for 4am training after defeat at Segunda side Oviedo. Real then strung together years without losing a tie and lifted the 1987 Cup.

The pratfalls returned in 2017. Real won 0-1 in Lleida and led 2-0 at half-time, then conceded three and went out. The Lleida keeper had even posted a line imagining a 1-3 in Anoeta, and Juanmi ended the night asking who advanced.

La Real have also won as a cycling team, won the only final without fans, and beaten Atlético Madrid in finals, the men in 1987 and the women in 2019. For 2026, Comet reappears in dreams with a wager, if Real win, he leaves them be, if not, rebuild the Anoeta velodrome.

Source: Diario Vasco