TMW
Not only the Italian Super Cup is up for grabs in Riyadh. Inter And Milanin tomorrow evening’s final, they take to the field for a total prize pool of 13 million euros: 8 to the winner, 5 to the second place. Considering the total 16.2 million (1.6 each for Juventus and Atalanta) it is the highest jackpot around Europe, even higher than the Spanish Super Cup, which is worth revenues of 40 million per season compared to the 23 Italians, but he distributes only 12 to the four participants.
Money, it is no mystery, is one of the main reasons for the dispute of the competition in Saudi Arabia. A location which is increasingly home to the Italian Super Cup, despite the many criticisms about the lack of attendance at the stadium, especially in the first semi-final, and which could become even more so in the near future.
The current agreements with Riyadh, worth a total of 92 million euros, commit the Lega Serie A to play two more editions in the country over the next four years. But it is not excluded that we will reach the en plein: the original idea was to skip two years and return to Arabia for 2028 and 2029; the satisfaction with the current edition – tomorrow the stadium is not yet sold out, but it should become so – and the strong link between the League and the Saudi League could lead to expanding and holding all the next four editions in the same country.
At the moment, according to what was gathered by TMWa proposal in this sense has not yet arrived, but in via Rosellini it would be welcomed with a certain favor, also for a question of continuity. The main alternative, far from being discarded, would lead to the United States. Also in this case there are no concrete offers to date, but the USA will host the World Cup in 2026 and could be interested in hosting some European tournaments in the year in which they will be at the center of global football. In that case there would then be a need to find one location for 2027, but this would be discussed when one direction or the other is chosen. The novelty is, in fact, the idea of expanding the partnership with Saudi Arabia.
However, it is unlikely that the Super Cup can really return to Italy. An undoubtedly fascinating idea, perhaps more natural and which would also not displease on a political level, but which clashes with the economic question. It is impossible to find in our country a figure even remotely close to that collected in Saudi Arabia or even elsewhere. Just think of how much similar events are worth in France, Germany or England, where the national super cup remained in the territory as the first trophy of the season: the DFL-Supercup is worth 5 million, the Trophée des Champions awards 3 million, the Community Shield does not provide prizes in money.