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UEFA Super Cup
UEFA Super Cup logo.svg
Organising body UEFA
Founded 1972; 52 years ago (1972)
(official since 1973)
Region Europe
Number of teams 2
Current champions England Manchester City
(1st title)
Most successful club(s) Spain Barcelona
Italy AC Milan
Spain Real Madrid
(5 titles each)
Website

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, 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 Manchester City, who defeated Europa League winners Sevilla 5–4 on penalties following a 1–1 draw in 2023. The most successful teams in the competition are Barcelona, AC Milan and Real Madrid, who have won the trophy five times each.

History

UEFA Super Cup Winners

Key:
     Qualified as UCL winner
     Qualified as UCWC winner
     Qualified as UEL winner
Abbreviations:
UCL  = European Cup / UEFA Champions League
UCWC = UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
UEL  = UEFA Cup / UEFA Europa League
Season Winner
(between UCL and UCWC winners)
1973 Netherlands Ajax
1974 Not held
1975 Soviet Union Dynamo Kyiv
1976 Belgium Anderlecht
1977 England Liverpool
1978 Belgium Anderlecht (2)
1979 England Nottingham Forest
1980 Spain Valencia
1981 Not held
1982 England Aston Villa
1983 Scotland Aberdeen
1984 Italy Juventus
1985 Not held
1986 Romania Steaua București
1987 Portugal Porto
1988 Belgium KV Mechelen
1989 Italy Milan
1990 Italy Milan (2)
1991 England Manchester United
1992 Spain Barcelona
1993 Italy Parma
1994 Italy Milan (3)
1995 Netherlands Ajax (2)
1996 Italy Juventus (2)
1997 Spain Barcelona (2)
1998 England Chelsea
1999 Italy Lazio
Season Winner
(between UCL and UEL winners)
2000 Turkey Galatasaray
2001 England Liverpool (2)
2002 Spain Real Madrid
2003 Italy Milan (4)
2004 Spain Valencia (2)
2005 England Liverpool (3)
2006 Spain Sevilla
2007 Italy Milan (5)
2008 Russia Zenit Saint Petersburg
2009 Spain Barcelona (3)
2010 Spain Atlético Madrid
2011 Spain Barcelona (4)
2012 Spain Atlético Madrid (2)
2013 Germany Bayern Munich
2014 Spain Real Madrid (2)
2015 Spain Barcelona (5)
2016 Spain Real Madrid (3)
2017 Spain Real Madrid (4)
2018 Spain Atlético Madrid (3)
2019 England Liverpool (4)
2020 Germany Bayern Munich (2)
2021 England Chelsea (2)
2022 Spain Real Madrid (5)
2023 England Manchester City
Ajax Amsterdam - 1973 UEFA Super Cup (Amsterdam, 1974, second leg)
The first official Super Cup trophy was won by Ajax in January 1974.

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, 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. 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.

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.

2015 UEFA Super Cup 104
Barcelona captain Andrés Iniesta lifting the 2015 UEFA Super Cup trophy.

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.

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.

In 2020, the Super Cup final was originally scheduled to be played at the Estádio do Dragão in Porto, Portugal, on 12 August 2020. 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.

Following discussions with its 55 member associations on 19 August 2020, 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.

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. 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

Prizes

Trophy

2015 UEFA Super Cup 54 (cropped)
The UEFA Super Cup trophy since 2006

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.

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 5 kg (11 lb) and measuring 42.5 cm (16.7 in) in height. The UEFA Champions League trophy weighs 8 kg (18 lb) and the UEFA Europa League trophy 15 kg (33 lb). 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 12.2 kg (27 lb) and measures 58 cm (23 in) in height.

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. Before the 2023 edition, two additional 15-minute periods of extra time were played before the match went to penalties if still tied.

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. 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.

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.

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. 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.

Records and statistics

Winners

Performance in the UEFA Super Cup by club
Club Winners Runners-up Years won Years runners-up
Spain Barcelona 5 4 1992, 1997, 2009, 2011, 2015 1979, 1982, 1989, 2006
Spain Real Madrid 5 3 2002, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2022 1998, 2000, 2018
Italy Milan 5 2 1989, 1990, 1994, 2003, 2007 1973, 1993
England Liverpool 4 2 1977, 2001, 2005, 2019 1978, 1984
Spain Atlético Madrid 3 0 2010, 2012, 2018
England Chelsea 2 3 1998, 2021 2012, 2013, 2019
Germany Bayern Munich 2 3 2013, 2020 1975, 1976, 2001
Netherlands Ajax 2 1 1973, 1995 1987
Belgium Anderlecht 2 0 1976, 1978
Spain Valencia 2 0 1980, 2004
Italy Juventus 2 0 1984, 1996
Spain Sevilla 1 6 2006 2007, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2020, 2023
Portugal Porto 1 3 1987 2003, 2004, 2011
England Manchester United 1 3 1991 1999, 2008, 2017
Soviet Union Dynamo Kyiv 1 1 1975 1986
England Nottingham Forest 1 1 1979 1980
England Aston Villa 1 0 1982
Scotland Aberdeen 1 0 1983
Romania Steaua București 1 0 1986
Belgium KV Mechelen 1 0 1988
Italy Parma 1 0 1993
Italy Lazio 1 0 1999
Turkey Galatasaray 1 0 2000
Russia Zenit Saint Petersburg 1 0 2008
England Manchester City 1 0 2023
Germany Hamburger SV 0 2 1977, 1983
Netherlands PSV Eindhoven 0 1 1988
Italy Sampdoria 0 1 1990
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Red Star Belgrade 0 1 1991
Germany Werder Bremen 0 1 1992
England Arsenal 0 1 1994
Spain Zaragoza 0 1 1995
France Paris Saint-Germain 0 1 1996
Germany Borussia Dortmund 0 1 1997
Netherlands Feyenoord 0 1 2002
Russia CSKA Moscow 0 1 2005
Ukraine Shakhtar Donetsk 0 1 2009
Italy Inter Milan 0 1 2010
Spain Villarreal 0 1 2021
Germany Eintracht Frankfurt 0 1 2022

By nation

Performance by nation
Nation Winners Runners-up Total
 Spain 16 15 31
 England 10 10 20
 Italy 9 4 13
 Belgium 3 0 3
 Germany 2 8 10
 Netherlands 2 3 5
 Portugal 1 3 4
 Russia 1 1 2
 Soviet Union 1 1 2
 Romania 1 0 1
 Scotland 1 0 1
 Turkey 1 0 1
 France 0 1 1
 Ukraine 0 1 1
 Yugoslavia 0 1 1
Total 48 48 96

Individual records

Hat-tricks

  • Only player to have scored a hat-trick in a two-legged final: Terry McDermott, against Hamburger SV on 6 December 1977
  • Only player to have scored a hat-trick in a single final: Radamel Falcao, against Chelsea on 31 August 2012

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Supercopa de la UEFA para niños

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