European Super Cup , EUROPEAN SUPER CUP

The European Super Cup (UEFA Super Cup) is at stake in an annual football game between the reigning champions of the UEFA Cup and the Champions League. It takes place at the start of the domestic season, in August.

The most successful team is Italian side Milan, who have won the trophy five times.

[edit] History

The UEFA Super Cup is an annual association football competition contested between the winners of the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup which was established in 1972. The competition was previously contested between the winners of the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup Winners' Cup until 1999 when the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was discontinued by UEFA. The last Super Cup in this format was the 1999 UEFA Super Cup between Lazio and Manchester United which Lazio won 1–0. The competition was originally played over two-legs, one at each participating club's stadium. Since the 1998 competition, the final has been a single match, played at a neutral venue, Stade Louis II in Monaco.^[1]

A.C. Milan hold the record for the most victories, winning the competition five times since its inception.

The European Super Cup was created in 1972 by Anton Witkamp, a reporter and later sports editor of Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf. The idea came to him in a time where Dutch total football was Europe's finest and Dutch football clubs were living 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 legendary 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 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 Dutch team 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 UEFA 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 Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf. Ajax beat Rangers and won the very first European Super Cup. Since then, the competition has been officially recognised and supported by UEFA.

Although the two-legged format was kept, in some years, the European Super Cup was decided in one single match whether because of schedule dilemmas or political problems. In 1974, 1981 and 1985, the European Super Cup was not played at all. Since 1998 the European Super Cup has always been decided in one single match, in Monaco's Stade Louis II.

At the end of the 1998/99 season, the Cup Winners' Cup was discontinued by UEFA. Since the beginning of the 1999/2000 season, the European Super Cup has been contested between the respective winners of the UEFA Champions League (formerly the European Cup before the format was changed) and the UEFA Cup.

[edit] Trophy

The UEFA Super Cup trophy is retained by UEFA at all times. A full-size replica trophy is awarded to the winning club. Thirty gold medals are presented to the winning club and thirty silver medals to the runners-up.^[4]

The UEFA Super Cup trophy has undergone several changes in its history. The first trophy that was presented to Ajax in 1973 and 1974 was extremely large, bigger than the European cup, this was replaced by a plaque, that had a gold UEFA Emblem on it with the continent inscribed within the emblem. The next trophy was the smallest and lightest of all the European club trophies, weighing 5kg and measuring 42.5cm in height (the UEFA Champions League trophy weighs 8kg and the UEFA Cup 15kg). Now, the new model weighs 12.2kg.

As in other UEFA trophies, a team which wins 3 times in a row or 5 in total, keeps the trophy permanently; this was the case for AC Milan in 2007.

[edit] Rules

Currently, the rules of the UEFA Super Cup are the same as any other UEFA club competition. The UEFA Super Cup is a single match final, contested in 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, two additional 15-minute periods of extra time are played. If there is no winner at the end of the second period of extra time, a penalty shoot-out determines the winner.^[1] Each team names 18 players, 11 of which start the match. Of the 7 remaining players, a total of 3 may be substituted throughout the match. Both teams may wear its first choice kit; however, if these clash the previous years UEFA Cup winning team must wear an alternative colour. If a club refuses to play or is ineligible to play then they are replaced by the second finalist from the competition they qualified through. If the field is unfit for play due to bad weather the match must be played the next day.^[4]

[edit] Sponsorship

Carlsberg have been the presenting sponsor for the UEFA Super Cup from 2006.^[5] As part of this they also present the "Carlsberg Man of the Match Award"^[6] Other current official sponsors include Intersport,^[7] Vodafone,^[8] and Canon Europe.^[9]

[edit] Qualification

The UEFA Super Cup is contested between the winners of the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup. The competition was previously contested between the winners of the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup Winners' Cup until 1999 when the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was discontinued by UEFA. The last Super Cup in this format was the 1999 UEFA Super Cup between Lazio and Manchester United which Lazio won 1–0.

[edit] Venue

Since the 1998 competition, the final has been a single match, played at a neutral venue, Stade Louis II in Monaco.^[1]

[edit] Winners

[edit] References

General

"History of the UEFA Supercup". UEFA. Retrieved on 2008-10-16.

Specific

^ ^a ^b ^c "UEFA Super Cup: Competition format". UEFA (31 August 2007). Retrieved on 8 December 2008.
^ "UEFA Super Cup - History". UEFA (2005-07-13). Retrieved on 2008-03-11.
^ "Dynamo bring happy memories". BBC Sport (2001-10-16). Retrieved on 2008-03-11.
^ ^a ^b "Regulations of the UEFA Super Cup". UEFA (March 2008). Retrieved on 12 December 2008.
^ Media Release (24 August 2006). "UEFA announces Carlsberg sponsorship of the UEFA Cup and UEFA Super Cup". UEFA. Retrieved on 8 December 2008.
^ Haslam, Andrew (29 August 2008). "Danny dazzles on debut to remember". UEFA. Retrieved on 12 December 2008.
^ "INTERSPORT - Official Sponsor of the UEFA Super Cup 2008". Intersport (30 June 2008). Retrieved on 8 December 2008.
^ "Vodafone agrees UEFA Cup and Super Cup sponsorship". Telecomworldwire. FindArticles (5 April 2007). Retrieved on 8 December 2008.
^ Banham, Mark (30 March 2007). "Canon Europe signs up for Uefa Cup sponsorship". BrandRepublic.com. Haymarket Group. Retrieved on 8 December 2008.

UEFA Super Cup

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