Saudi Arabia Hosts the Italian Super Cup for Fourth Time
It will mark the fourth time the tournament is hosted in the Kingdom.
Serie A president Ezio Simonelli said the semi-finals will take place on December 18 and 19, with the final scheduled on the 22nd.
The city where the matches will be hosted has not yet been determined, as the decision rests with the host country.
The four teams taking part are Napoli who won the scudetto, Bologna who lifted the Coppa Italia, and runners-up Inter Milan and AC Milan. The tournament was expanded in 2023 to include four clubs.
AC Milan won the most recent edition, beating Inter 3-2 to lift their first Super Cup since 2022.
In another statement, the President of the Italian League, explained that the league contacted the Italian Football Federation, the European Union (UEFA), and the International Federation (FIFA) to submit an official request, to move next February's match between Milan and Como to Australia, as a result from the closure of the San Siro stadium during the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, as it will be used for the opening ceremony, scheduled for February 6-22.
Simonelli said the aim is to draw attention to the league's interest in turning this edition into an opportunity to strengthen the International presence of the Italian League.
Despite these ambitions, the decision to host the competition has not gone down well with many Italian fans.
'A country's Super Cup should never be played abroad,' one vented online.
'They sold their soul to the highest bidder,' said another. 'Football used to be about fans who turn up in stadiums'
And a third was more blunt: 'Nice image of Italian football. All for two Arab pennies. And the fans have to watch it from home. But then the Super League is evil…'
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