Spanish Super Cup to be hosted in Saudi capital Riyadh again
It is the third time the tournament will take place in the Middle East, as part of a deal to keep the tournament there until 2029, worth a reported €30 million ($30.1 million) a season for the Spain's football federation.
The Spanish Super Cup will take place in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia in January 2023, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) announced Thursday.
Reigning champions and La Liga winners Real Madrid will face Copa del Rey runners up Valencia in one semi-final, with cup-winners Real Betis playing Barcelona, who finished second in the league in the other.
"The three matches will be played at the King Fahd de Riyadh stadium, a spectacular venue with capacity for over 60,000 fans," said the RFEF in a statement.
The semi-finals will take place on January 11 and 12 with the final on January 15th.
In the 2019/20 season the Spanish Super Cup was played in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, but because of the coronavirus pandemic it returned to Spain in 2020/21.
Last season it returned to Saudi Arabia, being held in Riyadh where Real Madrid beat Athletic Bilbao 2-0 in the final.
The tournament has been mired in various controversies, including Barcelona defender Gerard Pique's sports event company Kosmos being paid for helping arrange the move to Saudi Arabia, as well as concerns over human rights issues in the host country.
Comments
See Also
The Spanish Super Cup will take place in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia in January 2023, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) announced Thursday.
Reigning champions and La Liga winners Real Madrid will face Copa del Rey runners up Valencia in one semi-final, with cup-winners Real Betis playing Barcelona, who finished second in the league in the other.
"The three matches will be played at the King Fahd de Riyadh stadium, a spectacular venue with capacity for over 60,000 fans," said the RFEF in a statement.
The semi-finals will take place on January 11 and 12 with the final on January 15th.
In the 2019/20 season the Spanish Super Cup was played in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, but because of the coronavirus pandemic it returned to Spain in 2020/21.
Last season it returned to Saudi Arabia, being held in Riyadh where Real Madrid beat Athletic Bilbao 2-0 in the final.
The tournament has been mired in various controversies, including Barcelona defender Gerard Pique's sports event company Kosmos being paid for helping arrange the move to Saudi Arabia, as well as concerns over human rights issues in the host country.
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.