**Athletic Bilbao Wins Copa del Rey Crown After 40-Year Drought** SEVILLE, Spain - Athletic Bilbao has finally ended its long wait for the Copa del Rey title, defeating Mallorca 4-2 on penalties on Saturday. The Basque club's last Copa triumph came in 1984, and they had lost six consecutive finals since then. But on Saturday, they finally broke through with a dramatic penalty shootout victory. Athletic Bilbao took an early lead through Oihan Sancet, but Mallorca leveled the match through Vedat Muriqi. The score remained 1-1 at the end of regulation and extra time, sending the match to penalties. Andoni Iraola and Mikel Vesga scored for Athletic Bilbao in the shootout, while Mallorca's Salva Sevilla and Iddrisu Baba missed. Ander Herrera and Iñaki Williams scored the decisive penalties to seal the victory for Athletic Bilbao. The win is a major triumph for Athletic Bilbao and their coach Ernesto Valverde. It is the club's 24th Copa del Rey title, the most by any club after Barcelona's 31. Athletic Bilbao's victory also means that they will now qualify for the UEFA Europa League next season.
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