Diego Simeone believes Atletico Madrid have evolved since their last Copa del Rey final, but insisted their quest to win trophies has not changed.
Atleti will play their 20th Copa del Rey final in their history, and Simeone his second as a manager, 13 years after his first (when he won against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu in 2013).
Simeone's side come up against Real Sociedad in the showpiece this time around, an opponent they have enjoyed facing recently.
Including the most recent encounter, a 3-2 win in LaLiga at the Metropolitano, Atleti are enjoying their second-best unbeaten run against La Real across all competitions (nine games, W6 D3) since losing in the Copa del Rey in San Sebastian (2-0 in January 2022).
When asked how things have changed since their last cup final in 2013, Simeone said: "You always end up evolving; you're not the same person. It's one thing to be 20, 30, 40... and to be a player or a coach.
"We've grown with the opportunities the club has given us, always maintaining a common vision and a quest. In that respect, we haven't changed.
"We know how wonderful it is for any athlete to play in a final, giving everything to win.
"We played an important match on Tuesday, which put us in a great position, a Champions League semi-final, but now we're back to reality.
"We know the difficulties we'll face against a competitive opponent with different attacking styles. We expect nothing less than to take the game to a place where we can hurt them."
Touchdown in Sevilla pic.twitter.com/D3DRfdFpCM
— Atlético de Madrid (@atletienglish) April 17, 2026
La Real have lost just one of their last 21 Copa del Rey matches (W16 D4): 0-1 at home against Real Madrid in the 2025 semi-finals.
No team has more wins (16) and more clean sheets (13) than Real Sociedad in the competition over the last three seasons.
La Real won the Copa del Rey in 2021, when Mikel Oyarzabal scored the winner in a 1-0 victory over rivals Athletic Club.
"Very few of us are here from that final; a lot has changed," said Oyarzabal.
"The support of the fans tomorrow is very important; that will help us. Hopefully, the result will be the same.
"Talking now is pointless if you can't deliver. It's more important to focus on arriving in the best possible shape, making sure everyone is available and ready, and being a little better than them."