The Spanish Football Federation has postponed 24 first-round matches in the Copa del Rey following a deadly high-speed train collision in Spain’s Toledo province on Wednesday.
The federation announced the decision in a statement, explaining that the postponement was intended to honour the victims of the accident, which occurred about 130 kilometres south of Madrid.
“The entire Spanish football family stands united in grief over this tragedy and stands ready to assist the authorities in helping the victims of this devastating accident,” the RFEF said in a statement published on its website.
The federation added, “As a mark of respect and solidarity with all the victims of the tragic train accident that occurred on Wednesday morning in the province of Toledo, the RFEF has decided to suspend the 24 matches in the first round of the Copa del Rey originally scheduled for this afternoon and this evening.”
The RFEF said it would announce a new schedule for the affected fixtures, adding that it would “provide further details in due course regarding the revised tournament schedule and the final kick-off times for the postponed matches”.
The postponement followed a collision involving two high-speed trains that left at least 31 people dead and 80 others injured, according to the latest provisional figures released by Spanish authorities.
Emergency responders were deployed to the scene of the crash as rescue efforts continued, while the football federation expressed solidarity with those affected by the tragedy.
