Valencia's contempt for Copa del Rey a clear sign of the times

The lack of respect many of Europe's big clubs are affording their domestic cup competitions shows in no unmistakable terms that the money-spinning UEFA Champions League has become the be-all and end-all of the modern game.

Valencia celebrate their Copa del Rey triumph Source: Getty Images

The monster of European club football at best has turned such popular domestic knockouts as the FA Cup and the Copa del Rey into a mere consolation prize for clubs that are only interested in playing in the world's richest and most glamorous competition.

At worst the historic knockout competitions in England and Spain have become almost irrelevant, maybe even a nuisance.

Big clubs probably treat their cup competition as a trophy that would be nice to add to their honours list should they get to the final, but not something over which they would lose any sleep if success is not forthcoming.

Which is a crying shame because the fans at large - who are supposed to be the bread and butter of the game and who are always pandered to when it comes to the annual release of season tickets - still love a glorious cup run with a fitting climax.

But hey, romance and sentimentality may have been part and parcel of the game in the days when football actually was a game of the people. Not anymore, I'm afraid.

Perhaps the foreign owners, coaches and players associated with the Premier League, for example, do not fully understand what the cup means to English football. 

Playing in the Champions League and being in with a chance of raking in outrageous takings from television is all that matters to the big clubs' bean-counters who have to find ways of paying their outrageously paid stars.

There have been many occasions over the years when top Premier League clubs showed openly what they thought of the FA Cup by selecting depleted sides in the competition, especially if a cup tie came too close to a key European match.

There was a time when the 'old mug' was up there with the Grand National as an event of national importance and relevance ... very much part of the English heritage and culture.

Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona, who won Europe's top prize 18 times between them, have on occasions shown where their priorities lie by giving less than their all in the cup.

The same can be said of Germany, Italy and France.

If dominant forces Bayern Munich, Juventus or Paris Saint-Germain were to win the DFB-Pokal, Coppa Italia or Coupe de France but fail to land a spot in the Champions League, no doubt they would regard their season as a complete disaster.

A report from Spain this week showed the stark reality of how low in the game's pecking order has the Copa del Rey plunged.

Coach Marcelino Garcia Toral claimed in an extraordinary outburst after being sacked by Valencia that he was instructed not to concentrate on the domestic cup last season but make sure Los Che earned a spot in the Champions League.

Valencia finished fourth to book their Champions League ticket and won the cup by beating Barca 2-1 in the final.

Valencia's long-suffering fans greeted the club's first silverware in 11 years with unbridled enthusiasm yet the owners were not all that impressed.

Marcelino claimed he had gone against the board's wishes in concentrating on a competition they deemed to be "minor".

"During the season, we received direct and indirect messages that we had to discount the Copa," he said.

"They didn't tell me why they didn't want the Copa, only that it was a minor tournament and that I could be putting the main goal of Champions League qualification at risk.

"I was congratulated (by the owners) for qualifying for the Champions League - not for winning the Copa."

Valencia's stance is not new or isolated but it is a clear reflection on what is important and relevant in today's game.

Essentially what it all means is that many clubs would be very happy not to win anything in a decade as long as they end up in high enough places to secure a spot in the Champions League.

Utterly depressing, if you ask me.

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