The Spanish Super Cup has been sold to the regime in Saudi Arabia. But not without any resistance. India, China, and Qatar had also bid for the cup, which for the next three years will be a miniturnering with four teams.
When the saudis ended up running with the event, was due to the fact that the rich sheikhs threw 120 million euros on the table This corresponds to 900 million dollars.
The large expense is to be seen as a saudi attempt to use sport to launder the country and remove opmærksomhedens from the gross violation of human rights.
Usually the Super Cup is a match between the winner of La liga and the winner of the Spanish cup, the Copa del Rey.
But now Saudi Arabia have something for the money, and that is why Super League expanded to four teams. The two teams from pokalfinalen and the number one and two in La Liga. The tournament is settled on 8.-12. January at the king Abdullah Stadium in Jeddah. A stadium with a capacity of 62.000 spectators.
Barcelona and Atletico Madrid meet in the first semi-final, but Real Madrid’s clash with Valencia and Daniel Wass in the other.
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Daniel Wass and Valencia also need a trip to warm countries in January. Photo: Getty
It is now not all in Spain who are enthusiastic about that Super Cup moving to Saudi Arabia.
Usually played the fight in the late summer as a prelude to the new season. By moving it to January and extend it to a miniturnering, breaks the check in the program for the Spanish league.
the President of La Liga, Javier Tebas, is also among the largest detractors.
he has a good reason for that. Tebas has a very hard time to understand that the Spanish football federation sells out to Saudi Arabia, where the tv station BeoutQ illegally and without any kinds of rights sends the matches from the Spanish league. It is piracy, as both UEFA and several leagues in Europe condemns the condemned.
But the president of the Spanish football federation, Luis Rubiales, don’t care one bit with the criticism. He looks miniturneringen as a good advertisement for Spanish football in a region where he would like to seek support for the Spanish dreams, together with Portugal to host the WORLD cup in 2030.
And so is the money good. The 900 million dollars are in the follow the Spanish sportsavis, AS, divided by one-half to the Spanish federation, while the last half must be shared between the four participating clubs.
Amnesty International has in the network launched a campaign against fighting in Saudi Arabia, and the Spanish vicesportsminister, Maria Jose Rienda, says that the government will not support that the tournament is being held in a country that does not respect women’s rights.
Luis Rubiales defends himself with, that he has agreed with the saudi authorities that women be given access to the fighting in Jeddah, and that they must put on the clothes they deem appropriate.
Oddly enough, the Spanish fans have not yet objected to, that the Super Cup moved to Saudi Arabia. It is otherwise the matches, which will draw full houses at every stadium in Spain.
But Spain is not only about going after saudiernes money. Italy has also chosen to settle their Super Cup in Saudi Arabia. However, there is just the single match. Juventus meet Lazio 22. december in Riyadh, and according to the Italian media, both hold 25 million dollars to whitewash the saudi regime.
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Juventus and Ronaldo also takes a trip to Saudi Arabia, where the money is big. Photo: Ritzau Scanpix
Also in this case, Amnesty has been on the field, this time in cooperation with journalistgruppen on the state Italian TELEVISION station, Rai. The protests, however, has not changed anything. The Italian confederation has agreed with the sheiks, that three out of five Super Cupper to play in Saudi Arabia. The first was played last year in Jeddah.
It is Saudi Arabia’s real leader, the crown prince, Mohamed bin Salman, who is behind the sportshvidvaskningen. He was really known internationally, since his sent thugs killed and dismembered journalist Jamal Khashoggi of the saudi consulate in Istanbul 2. October of last year.
the crown prince has recently obtained one more major sporting event to the country. In the december meetings, the undefeated champion of the world boxing union, Andy Roiz from Mexico, the briton Anthony Joshua in a revancheopgør. It takes place in the town of Diriyah.
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