UEFA Super Cup explained
The UEFA Super Cup is an annual super cup football match organised by UEFA and contested by the winners of the two main European club competitions: the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League. The competition's official name was originally the Super Competition,[1] and later the European Super Cup. It was renamed the UEFA Super Cup in 1995, following a policy of rebranding by UEFA.
From 1972 to 1999, the UEFA Super Cup was contested between the winners of the European Cup/UEFA Champions League and the winners of the European/UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. After the discontinuation of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, it has been contested by the winners of the UEFA Champions League and the winners of the UEFA Cup, which was renamed the UEFA Europa League in 2009.
The current holders are Champions League winners Real Madrid, who defeated Europa League winners Atalanta 2–0 in 2024. Real Madrid are also the most successful team in the competition, having won the trophy six times.
History
The European Super Cup was created in 1971 by Anton Witkamp, a reporter and later sports editor of Dutch newspaper
De Telegraaf. The idea came to him in a time when Dutch
total football was Europe's finest and Dutch football clubs were enjoying their golden era (especially
Ajax). Witkamp was looking for something new to definitely decide which was the best team in Europe and also to further test Ajax's team, led by their star player
Johan Cruyff.
It was then proposed that the winner of the European Cup would face the winner of the European Cup Winners' Cup. All was set for a new competition to be born. However, when Witkamp tried to get an official endorsement to his competition, the UEFA president turned it down.
The 1972 final between Ajax and Scotland's Rangers is considered unofficial by UEFA,[2] as Rangers were banned from European competition due to the behaviour of their fans during the 1972 European Cup Winners' Cup final. As a result, UEFA refused to endorse the competition until the following season.[3] It was played in two legs and was financially supported by De Telegraaf. Ajax defeated Rangers 6–3 on aggregate and won the first (albeit unofficial) European Super Cup.
The 1973 final, in which Ajax defeated AC Milan 6–1 on aggregate, was the first Super Cup officially recognised and supported by UEFA.
Although the two-legged format was kept until 1997, the Super Cup was decided in one single match because of schedule issues (1984 and 1986) or political problems (1991). In 1974, 1981 and 1985, the Super Cup was not played at all: 1974's competition was abandoned because Bayern Munich and Magdeburg could not find a mutually convenient date; 1981's was abandoned when Liverpool could not make space to meet Dinamo Tbilisi; while 1985's was abandoned due to a ban on English clubs' participation preventing Everton from playing Juventus.[2] [4]
In the 1992–93 season, the European Cup was renamed the UEFA Champions League and the winners of this competition would face the winners of the Cup Winners' Cup in the European Super Cup. In the 1994–1995 season, the European Cup Winners' Cup was renamed the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. The following season, the Super Cup also renamed the UEFA Super Cup.
After the 1998–99 season, the Cup Winners' Cup was discontinued by UEFA. The 1999 Super Cup was the last one contested by the winners of the Cup Winners' Cup. Lazio, winners of the 1998–99 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, defeated Manchester United, winners of the 1998–99 UEFA Champions League, 1–0.
Since then, the UEFA Super Cup was contested between the winners of the UEFA Champions League and the winners of the
UEFA Cup. The
2000 Super Cup was the first one contested by the winners of the UEFA Cup.
Galatasaray, winners of the
1999–2000 UEFA Cup, defeated
Real Madrid, winners of the
1999–2000 UEFA Champions League, 2–1.
In the 2009–10 season, the UEFA Cup was renamed the UEFA Europa League and the winners of this competition would continue to face the winners of the Champions League in the UEFA Super Cup.
In 2013, Chelsea became the first club to contest the Super Cup as holders of all three UEFA club honours, having entered as holders of the Cup Winners' Cup (1998), Champions League (2012), and Europa League (2013). Manchester United shared this honour in 2017 after their Europa League win, having qualified as Cup Winners' Cup holders in 1991.
After 15 consecutive Super Cups being played at Stade Louis II in Monaco between 1998 and 2012, the Super Cup is now played at various stadiums (similar to the finals of the Champions League and the Europa League). It was started with the 2013 edition, which was played at Eden Stadium in Prague, Czech Republic.[5]
Starting in 2014, the date of the UEFA Super Cup was moved from Friday in late August, to Tuesday in mid-August, following the removal of the August international friendly date in the new FIFA International Match Calendar.[6]
In 2020, the Super Cup final was originally scheduled to be played at the Estádio do Dragão in Porto, Portugal, on 12 August 2020.[7] [8] However, after the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe caused the postponements of the previous season's club finals, the UEFA Executive Committee chose to award the rescheduled Champions League final to Portugal, and postponed the match for 24 September 2020 and relocated the stadium to Puskás Aréna, Budapest.[9] [10]
Following discussions with its 55 member associations on 19 August 2020,[11] the UEFA Executive Committee decided on 25 August 2020 to use the final as a pilot match for which a reduced number of spectators, up to 30% of the capacity of the stadium, can be allowed in, and it became the first official UEFA match to have spectators since their competitions were resumed in August 2020.[12]
Venues
The competition was originally played over two legs, one at each participating club's stadium, except in exceptional circumstances. For instance, in 1991 when Red Star Belgrade were not permitted to play the leg in their native Yugoslavia due to the war which was taking place at the time, so instead Manchester United's home leg was only played.
Since 1998, the Super Cup was played as a single match at a neutral venue.[13] Between 1998 and 2012, the Super Cup was played at the Stade Louis II in Monaco. Since 2013 various stadiums have been used.
List of venues since 1998
Eden Aréna, Prague, Czech Republic[14]
Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff, Wales[6]
Boris Paichadze Dinamo Arena, Tbilisi, Georgia[6] [15]
Lerkendal Stadion, Trondheim, Norway[16]
Philip II Arena, Skopje, FYR Macedonia[17]
Lilleküla Stadium, Tallinn, Estonia[18]
Vodafone Park, Istanbul, Turkey
Puskás Aréna, Budapest, Hungary[9]
Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland[19]
Olympic Stadium, Helsinki, Finland
Karaiskakis Stadium, Piraeus, Greece[20]
Stadion Narodowy, Warsaw, Poland[21]
Prizes
Trophy
The UEFA Super Cup trophy is retained by UEFA at all times. A full-size replica trophy is awarded to the winning club. Forty gold medals are presented to the winning club and forty silver medals to the runners-up.[22]
The Super Cup trophy has undergone several changes in its history. The first trophy was presented to Ajax in 1973. In 1977, the original trophy was replaced by a plaque with a gold UEFA emblem. In 1987, the next trophy was the smallest and lightest of all the European club trophies, weighing 5kg (11lb) and measuring 42.5cm (16.7inches) in height. The UEFA Champions League trophy weighs 8kg (18lb) and the UEFA Europa League trophy 15kg (33lb). It was designed and manufactured at the Bertoni workshop in Milan. The new model, which is a larger version of the previous trophy, was introduced in 2006 and weighs 12.2kg (26.9lb) and measures 58cm (23inches) in height.[23]
Until 2008, a team which won three times in a row or five in total received an original copy of the trophy and a special mark of recognition. Since then, the original trophy has been kept exclusively by UEFA. AC Milan, Barcelona and Real Madrid have achieved this honour, winning a total of five times each, but the Italian team is the only one which was awarded the official trophy permanently in 2007. Barcelona and Real Madrid won their fifth title in 2015 and 2022, respectively, when the policy was no longer in place.
Prize money
As of 2020, the fixed amount of prize money paid to the clubs is as follows:
- Runner-up: €3,800,000
- Winner: €5,000,000
Rules
The UEFA Super Cup is contested as a single match at a neutral venue. The match consists of two periods of 45 minutes each, known as halves. If the scores are level at the end of 90 minutes, the match goes straight to a penalty shoot-out to determine a winner.[24] [25] [26] Before the 2023 edition, two additional 15-minute periods of extra time were played before the match went to penalties if still tied.[22]
Each team names 23 players, 11 of which start the match. Of the 12 remaining players, a total of 5 may be substituted throughout the match. Each team may wear its first choice kit. If these clash, the previous year's Europa League winning team must wear an alternative colour.[22] If a club refuses to play or is ineligible to play then they are replaced by the runner-up of the competition through which they qualified. If the field is unfit for play due to bad weather, the match must be played the next day.[22]
Sponsorship
The UEFA Super Cup's sponsors are the same as the sponsors for the UEFA Champions League. The tournament's current main sponsors are (as of the 2023–24 season):
Adidas is a secondary sponsor and supplies the official match ball, while Macron supplies the referee kits.[35]
Individual clubs may wear jerseys with advertising, even if such sponsors conflict with those of the Super Cup. Only two sponsorships are permitted per jersey, plus that of the manufacturer, at the chest and the left sleeve.[36] Exceptions are made for non-profit organisations, which can feature on the front of the shirt, incorporated with the main sponsor, or on the back, either below the squad number or between the player name and the collar.
Tickets
60% of the stadium capacity is reserved for the visiting clubs. The remaining seats are sold by UEFA through an online auction. There are an unlimited number of applications for tickets given out. The 5 euro administration fee is deducted from each applicant. There is no limit to the number of applications each individual can make.[37]
Records and statistics
See main article: List of UEFA Super Cup matches.
Winners
Years won! class="unsortable"| Years runners-up |
| Real Madrid | 6 | 3 | 2002, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2022, 2024 | 1998, 2000, 2018 |
| Barcelona | 5 | 4 | 1992, 1997, 2009, 2011, 2015 | 1979, 1982, 1989, 2006 |
| Milan | 5 | 2 | 1989, 1990, 1994, 2003, 2007 | 1973, 1993 |
| Liverpool | 4 | 2 | 1977, 2001, 2005, 2019 | 1978, 1984 |
| Atlético Madrid | 3 | 0 | | — |
| Chelsea | 2 | 3 | 1998, 2021 | 2012, 2013, 2019 |
| Bayern Munich | 2 | 3 | 2013, 2020 | 1975, 1976, 2001 |
| Ajax | 2 | 1 | 1973, 1995 | 1987 |
| Anderlecht | 2 | 0 | 1976, 1978 | — |
| Valencia | 2 | 0 | 1980, 2004 | — |
| Juventus | 2 | 0 | 1984, 1996 | — |
| Sevilla | 1 | 6 | 2006 | 2007, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2020, 2023 |
| Porto | 1 | 3 | 1987 | 2003, 2004, 2011 |
| Manchester United | 1 | 3 | 1991 | 1999, 2008, 2017 |
| Dynamo Kyiv | 1 | 1 | 1975 | 1986 |
| Nottingham Forest | 1 | 1 | 1979 | 1980 |
| Aston Villa | 1 | 0 | 1982 | — |
| Aberdeen | 1 | 0 | 1983 | — |
| Steaua București | 1 | 0 | 1986 | — |
| KV Mechelen | 1 | 0 | 1988 | — |
| Parma | 1 | 0 | 1993 | — |
| Lazio | 1 | 0 | 1999 | — |
| Galatasaray | 1 | 0 | 2000 | — |
| Zenit Saint Petersburg | 1 | 0 | 2008 | — |
| Manchester City | 1 | 0 | 2023 | — |
| Hamburger SV | 0 | 2 | — | 1977, 1983 |
| PSV Eindhoven | 0 | 1 | — | 1988 |
| Sampdoria | 0 | 1 | — | 1990 |
| Red Star Belgrade | 0 | 1 | — | 1991 |
| Werder Bremen | 0 | 1 | — | 1992 |
| Arsenal | 0 | 1 | — | 1994 |
| Zaragoza | 0 | 1 | — | 1995 |
| Paris Saint-Germain | 0 | 1 | — | 1996 |
| Borussia Dortmund | 0 | 1 | — | 1997 |
| Feyenoord | 0 | 1 | — | 2002 |
| CSKA Moscow | 0 | 1 | — | 2005 |
| Shakhtar Donetsk | 0 | 1 | — | 2009 |
| Inter Milan | 0 | 1 | — | 2010 |
| Villarreal | 0 | 1 | — | 2021 |
| Eintracht Frankfurt | 0 | 1 | — | — | 2022 |
| Atalanta | 0 | 1 | — | — | 2024 | |
By nation
- Notes
- News: UEFA Super Cup: The competition that found its place. UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 9 August 2021. 10 May 2022. 10 May 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220510130820/https://www.uefa.com/returntoplay/news/026c-12f4fbf5c900-0141f81a615f-1000--the-competition-that-found-its-place/. live.
- Web site: Club competition winners do battle. UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 3 May 2018. 1 July 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100701063110/http://www.uefa.com/uefasupercup/history/index.html. live.
- Web site: Dynamo bring happy memories. BBC Sport. 11 March 2008. 16 October 2001. 7 August 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170807023615/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/scotland/1603449.stm. live.
- News: Everton FC: The forgotten game of the 1985/86 UEFA Super Cup . Tom . Woods . . 14 November 2015 . 4 May 2018 . 27 June 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180627062603/https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/incoming/everton-fc-forgotten-game-198586-10443502 . live .
- Web site: Prague celebrates 2013 Super Cup honour . 17 June 2011 . 2011-06-18 . 2018-07-01 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180701155411/http://www.uefa.com/uefasupercup/news/newsid=1644318.html . live. UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations.
- Web site: UEFA EURO 2020, UEFA Super Cup decisions. UEFA.org. Union of European Football Associations. 30 June 2012. 5 September 2014. 2 October 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151002152552/http://www.uefa.org/about-uefa/executive-committee/news/newsid=1836837.html. live.
- News: 24 May 2018 . Istanbul to host 2020 UEFA Champions League Final . UEFA.com . Union of European Football Associations . 24 May 2018 . 19 August 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200819221734/https://www.uefa.com/insideuefa/mediaservices/news/0245-0f8e60d11f0f-78765b792753-1000--istanbul-to-host-2020-uefa-champions-league-final/ . live .
- Web site: 2020/21 UEFA Champions League match calendar . Union of European Football Associations . 24 September 2019 . 18 March 2021 . 24 September 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190924191849/https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/newsid=2625356.html . live .
- News: UEFA competitions to resume in August . UEFA.com . Union of European Football Associations . 17 June 2020 . 17 June 2020 . 25 August 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200825183219/https://www.uefa.com/insideuefa/about-uefa/news/025e-0fb6101cfdbf-8b878372d79d-1000--uefa-competitions-to-resume-in-august/?referrer=%2finsideuefa%2fnews%2fnewsid%3d2642232 . live .
- Web site: 2020 UEFA Super Cup: new date and venue . UEFA.com . Union of European Football Associations . 17 June 2020 . 18 March 2021 . 23 October 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201023125545/https://www.uefa.com/uefasupercup/news/025e-0fac982802ff-19c8a84af8c0-1000--super-cup-moved-to-budapest/ . live .
- News: UEFA meets general secretaries of member associations . UEFA.com . Union of European Football Associations . 19 August 2020 . 19 August 2020 . 21 August 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200821224043/https://www.uefa.com/insideuefa/mediaservices/mediareleases/news/0260-102b2c2ace44-637fb4a08f89-1000--uefa-meets-general-secretaries/ . live .
- News: UEFA Super Cup to test partial return of spectators . UEFA.com . Union of European Football Associations . 25 August 2020 . 25 August 2020 . 31 December 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201231085042/https://www.uefa.com/insideuefa/mediaservices/mediareleases/news/0260-103712e48c82-4059778ef426-1000--uefa-super-cup-to-test-partial-return-of-spectators/ . live .
- Web site: UEFA Super Cup: Competition format. 31 August 2007. UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 8 December 2008. 1 February 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100201153904/http://www.uefa.com/competitions/supercup/format/newsid=316985.html. live.
- Web site: Wembley, Amsterdam ArenA, Prague get 2013 finals. UEFA.org. Union of European Football Associations. 16 June 2011. 5 September 2014. 15 April 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140415130239/http://www.uefa.org/about-uefa/executive-committee/news/newsid=1644074.html. live.
- Web site: Georgia's Dinamo Arena embraces UEFA Super Cup 2015. Agenda.ge. 5 March 2014. 23 March 2015. 13 December 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141213022838/http://agenda.ge/news/9927/eng. live.
- Web site: Milan to host 2016 UEFA Champions League final. UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 18 September 2014. 18 September 2014. 5 June 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170605025318/http://www.uefa.org/about-uefa/executive-committee/news/newsid=2149868.html. live.
- Web site: FYR Macedonia to host 2017 UEFA Super Cup. UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 30 June 2015. 1 June 2021. 27 March 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190327102549/https://www.uefa.com/uefasupercup/news/newsid=2262118.html. live.
- Web site: Tallinn to stage 2018 UEFA Super Cup. UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 8 August 2017. 1 June 2021. 17 July 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180717161830/https://www.uefa.com/uefasupercup/news/newsid=2398008.html. live.
- News: 2021 Super Cup to take place in Belfast . UEFA.com . Union of European Football Associations . 24 September 2019 . 24 September 2019 . 24 September 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200924215716/https://www.uefa.com/uefasupercup/news/0255-0d939ff4f94d-66ebd547547f-1000--2021-super-cup-to-take-place-in-belfast/ . live .
- Web site: New formats for UEFA men's national team competitions approved. UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 25 January 2023 . en . 25 January 2023.
- Web site: Warsaw to host 2024 UEFA Super Cup. UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 26 September 2023 . en . 26 September 2023.
- Web site: Regulations of the UEFA Super Cup 2015-18 Cycle. March 2015. UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 12 August 2015. 4 March 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304113859/http://www.uefa.org/MultimediaFiles/Download/Regulations/uefaorg/Regulations/02/24/06/02/2240602_DOWNLOAD.pdf. live.
- Web site: The trophy. UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 2 August 2009.
- Web site: Whitebloom . Grey . 30 June 2023 . 2023 UEFA Super Cup: Date, location, format change & teams involved . 16 August 2023 . 90min.com.
- Web site: Lawless . Josh . 29 June 2023. UEFA have changed Super Cup rules for Man City vs Sevilla clash . 18 April 2024 . SPORTbible . en.
- Web site: 16 August 2023. The 2023 UEFA Super Cup in Piraeus: All you need to know. 18 April 2024. UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations.
- News: FedEx delivers upgrade from Europa League to Champions League sponsor. SportBusiness. SBG Companies Limited. Williams. Matthew. 5 May 2021. 6 October 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221006173737/https://www.sportbusiness.com/news/fedex-delivers-upgrade-from-europa-league-to-champions-league-sponsor/#:~:text=FedEx%20is%20also%20Uefa%20national,PepsiCo%2C%20plus%20new%20arrival%20JustEat.. live.
- News: Turkish Airlines to sponsor UEFA Champions League. 5 September 2022. Ergocun. Gökhan. Anadolu Agency. Ankara. 5 September 2022.
- OPPO becomes UEFA Champions League global sponsor. 18 July 2022. UEFA. Nyon. 10 August 2022.
- HEINEKEN extends UEFA club competition sponsorship. UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 12 February 2018. 10 June 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210610184419/https://www.uefa.com/insideuefa/mediaservices/news/0236-0f8e4a18ca0a-0ea6ece636c8-1000--heineken-extends-uefa-club-competition-sponsorship/. live.
- News: Uefa's Just Eat sponsorship covers Champions League and Women's Euro. Carp. Sam. 23 March 2021. SportsPro. SportsPro Media Limited. 23 March 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210323101814/https://www.sportspromedia.com/news/uefa-just-eat-sponsorship-champions-league-womens-euro. live.
- News: Carp. Sam. Uefa cashes in Mastercard renewal. SportsPro. SportsPro Media Limited. 12 February 2018. 16 February 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180216124120/http://www.sportspromedia.com/news/uefa-cashes-in-mastercard-renewal. live.
- Web site: PepsiCo renews UEFA Champions League Partnership. UEFA.com. 6 February 2018 . Union of European Football Associations. 12 February 2018. 12 February 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180212201837/https://www.uefa.com/insideuefa/about-uefa/administration/marketing/news/newsid=2532818.html#/. live.
- 30 July 2021. UEFA Champions League and PlayStation Renew Partnership until 2024. 15 September 2021. UEFA. 15 September 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210915065908/https://www.uefa.com/returntoplay/news/026b-12e0aa3d6fa9-229dde6e8099-1000--uefa-champions-league-and-playstation-renew-partnership-until-2/. live.
- Web site: 23 May 2019. Macron signs three-year deal to become official UEFA referee kit supplier . 3 June 2024. UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations.
- Web site: UEFA Documents. 31 July 2021. documents.uefa.com. 31 July 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210731031212/https://documents.uefa.com/r/4W_2d4J1wzeSliUijD1~kg/jT6ByA7x9dsfPye5Rz1z6w. live.
- Web site: UEFA Super Cup ticketing. 7 August 2017. UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 2 April 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130402061841/http://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Download/Competitions/SuperCup_/83/96/59/839659_DOWNLOAD.pdf. live.
Individual records
- Most wins by player: Dani Carvajal and Luka Modrić (5 wins each)[38] [39]
- Most matches by player: Roberto Donadoni and Alessandro Costacurta (8 matches each)[40]
- Most wins with different clubs by player: Mateo Kovačić (three clubs), with Real Madrid (2016, 2017), Chelsea (2021) and Manchester City (2023)[41] [42]
- Most wins by coach: Carlo Ancelotti (5 wins)[39]
- Most editions contested by coach: Carlo Ancelotti (5 editions)[43]
- All-time top scorers: Arie Haan, Oleg Blokhin, David Fairclough, Gerd Müller, Rob Rensenbrink, François Van Der Elst, Terry McDermott, Radamel Falcao and Lionel Messi (3 goals each)[44] [45]
- Most wins with different clubs by coach: Pep Guardiola (three clubs), with Barcelona (2009, 2011), Bayern Munich (2013) and Manchester City (2023)[46] [47]
- Fastest goal: 50 seconds, Diego Costa, against Real Madrid on 15 August 2018[48]
- Only player to have been named man of the match more than once: Lionel Messi (2009, 2015)[49] [50]
Hat-tricks
- Only player to have scored a hat-trick in a two-legged final: Terry McDermott, against Hamburger SV on 6 December 1977[51]
- Only player to have scored a hat-trick in a single final: Radamel Falcao, against Chelsea on 31 August 2012[52]
See also
