RFEF: Three possible venues for Copa del Rey final

The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has revealed that this year's Copa del Rey final will be held at either Mestalla, the Vicente Calderon or the Cartuja.

The two participants, Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao, have both expressed a desire for the game to be staged at Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabeu because of its central location and its impressive capacity of 84,454.

However, Los Blancos have refused to make their home ground available for the showpiece event, thus forcing the RFEF into seeking alternative venues.

"The options for the cup final are the Cartuja in Seville, Mestalla in Valencia and the Vicente Calderon in Madrid," RFEF spokesman Jorge Carretero is quoted as saying by Ona FM.

"Next week we will know the venue: Barcelona and Athletic will decide."

It had been thought that the Estadio Cornella-El Prat, home to Espanyol, was also under consideration but Carretero revealed that it is no longer a viable option.

As for the Bernabeu, Madrid have claimed that planned construction work on the ground has prevented them from putting the arena forward as a possible venue.

Some have suggested that Los Blancos are simply against hosting a final contested by Catalan rivals Barca, particularly against Basque opposition, but Carretero suggested that Madrid's excuse is valid.

"I can not make any judgment; this is simply the reality," he stated. "It seems that this work has been scheduled for months."

The RFEF official went on to admit that he cannot comprehend as to why the RFEF has come under fire for not resolving the matter sooner.

"I do not understand why people are in such a hurry to know where a final that is to be held in late May will be staged," Carretero claimed.

The last time that Barca and Bilbao met in the Copa del Rey final, at Mestalla in 2009, the Spanish national anthem was booed by fans from both clubs.