The 1976-77 season was one of firsts for Real Betis as the club won its first-ever Copa del Rey title and qualified for Europe for the first time as a result. Español was dispatched in the semi-final to set up a final encounter for Betis against Athletic Bilbao. The match finished 2-2 and went to penalty kicks, no fewer than 20 of them being taken before Rafael Iriondo’s side emerged victorious by an 8-7 margin. This was a welcome end to a strong season overall that included an impressive fifth-placed finish in La Liga.