SOCCER
We’re only in the second week of January but the first trophy of the year in Spanish soccer is already up for grabs! Looking for a crash course in the Spanish Super Cup/Supercopa de España? Well, you’ve come to the right place. Here’s everything you need to know.
The 2023 Spanish Super Cup starts on Wednesday, 11 January 2023 and finishes on Sunday, 15 January 2023.
For the third year out of four, the Spanish Super Cup will be held in Saudi Arabia. As was the case last year, when Real Madrid won the trophy, every match in the tournament will be played at the King Fahd Stadium in Riyadh.
👋 Hello Riyadh! 👋#SuperSupercopa | @Emirates pic.twitter.com/JfPz7UQIQW
In June 2021, the Spanish Federation agreed a deal worth a reported $120 million to have Saudi Arabia host the tournament until 2029. The move drew criticism from almost all quarters, with Amnesty International scathing of the federation’s “collaboration in this ‘whitewashing’ of the image of the Saudi Arabia”, where it said there had been very little improvement in the “the systematic abuse of homosexuals and continued discrimination against women.”
Speaking in 2019, when the first ‘Saudi Arabia Spanish Super Cup’ took place, LaLiga President Javier Tebas was also unhappy, “not only for human rights” but also because “they’ve been pirating Spanish and European football for two years through a paid television backed by the Saudi Arabian government.” Athletic Club midfielder Raúl García, who played in the tournament in 2021 and 2022, said Spanish fans had been “forgotten”.
The tournament features the winners and runners-up of LaLiga and the winners and runners-up of the Copa del Rey in 2021-22. The four qualified teams this year are:
✍️@Marca
🚨🚨| The Spanish Super Cup Will be played in The King Fahd Stadium Riyadh pic.twitter.com/IbVVCV1UhQ
Between 1983 and 2017, the Spanish Super Cup was a two-legged final between the winners of LaLiga and the Copa del Rey during the previous season. There were a few exceptions, with no finals held in 1986 or 1987, while in Athletic Club and Real Madrid were automatically presented with the trophy in 1984 and 1989 respectively having won both competitions. In subsequent years, the Copa del Rey runners-up played in the Spanish Super Cup if any ream did the league and cup double.
After a one-legged final between league and cup winner in 2018, the current format was introduced in time for the 2019-20 tournament. Two semi-finals will be followed the final. There will be no third-place playoff.
The semi-finals of the 2023 Spanish Super Cup are:
Real Madrid vs Valencia: Wednesday, 11 January, kick-off at 2pm ET
Real Betis vs Barcelona: Thursday, 12 January, kick-off at 2pm ET
🇸🇦 The boys receive a classy welcome in Saudi Arabia🌺 pic.twitter.com/NGVFledCPN
The winners of the two semi-finals will meet in the final on Sunday, 15 January 2023, kick-off at 2pm ET.
In you’re based in the United States, you can watch the semi-finals of the 2023 Spanish Super Cup on ESPN+, ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes.
The final will be shown on ABC, ESPN+ and ESPN Deportes.
Watch the 2023 Spanish Super Cup live on ESPN+
Barcelona lead the way on 13 Spanish Super Cup victories, just ahead of arch-rivals Real Madrid on 12. The ‘big two’ are streets ahead of anyone else in the competition, with Athletic Club and Deportivo La Coruña next on three wins.
MLS
Soccer
To be able to comment you must be registered and logged in. Forgot password?
Subscribe to our newsletters
LIGA MX
MLS
PSG
DAZN
Enjoy live and on-demand online sports on DAZN. Activate your account
NBA Pass League
Now you can watch the entire NBA season or your favorite teams on streaming.