By Marta Elena Casanova
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The Italian Super Cup has become an itinerant event, more a product of Italian football’s export strategy than a celebration for home fans. The 2025 edition will follow the same path: once again it will be staged in Saudi Arabia, in Riyadh, with the recently introduced four-team format featuring two single-elimination semifinals (December 18 and 19, 2025) and the final on December 22. The bracket has already been drawn: Napoli vs. Milan and Bologna vs. Inter in the semifinals. A choice that brings immediate financial benefits to Serie A and the clubs involved, but also sparks an ever-growing debate: how “Italian” is a Super Cup that has rarely been played in Italy for years?
A long story that began in Washington
To understand how we got here, we need to step back. The idea of the Italian Super Cup was born in 1988, almost by accident. During a dinner among Sampdoria supporters, fresh from their Coppa Italia triumph, journalist Enzo D’Orsi suggested to club president Paolo Mantovani the idea of a match between the Serie A champion and the cup winner, inspired by England’s Charity Shield. The proposal caught on, and a few weeks later it landed on the desk of Lega Nazionale Professionisti president Luciano Nizzola, who officially approved it. Thus, a new competition entered the Italian football calendar.
In the early years the match was always played in Italy, but in 1993 came a turning point: Milan and Torino did not face off in Rome or Milan, but in Washington, D.C., USA. It was the first time the trophy crossed national borders, an innovative, almost pioneering choice that paved the way for future overseas editions.
From then on, the Super Cup traveled widely: Tripoli in 2002, Beijing several times in the 2000s, Doha, Shanghai, and eventually Saudi Arabia, which since 2018 has become its most frequent destination. Exporting the event is no longer an exception, but the rule.ù
Final Four: the format
For decades the formula was simple: two teams, one game, often viewed as the official curtain-raiser of the new season. Starting in 2023-24, however, Serie A expanded the competition to a Final Four. Alongside the league champion and Coppa Italia winner, the Serie A runner-up and the Coppa Italia finalist also gained entry. Two semifinals, one final, and a larger prize pool made the tournament more attractive to sponsors and broadcasters.
The 2025 edition will keep this format: four teams, three matches in four days, with the final set for December 22 in Riyadh. A mini-tournament reminiscent of Spain’s Supercopa, well liked by commercial partners for providing more TV content and greater visibility.
The business numbers
The reason behind moving the Super Cup abroad is clear: money. Serie A signed a deal with Saudi Arabia worth around €23 million, with €16.2 million distributed directly to participating clubs. The breakdown is straightforward: semifinal losers earn €1.6 million each, the runner-up receives €5 million, and the winner lifts the trophy along with €8 million. Sums unimaginable in Italy, but highly appealing for clubs struggling with tight budgets.
Beyond the financial aspect, there is also visibility: playing in the Middle East strengthens Italian football’s presence in emerging markets, introduces Serie A to new audiences, and attracts sponsors keen to associate with its brand. It is a global marketing operation, much like the Spanish Supercopa’s overseas shift.
And the fans?
Economically the logic is solid, but the other side of the coin is the fans. For years the Super Cup was eagerly anticipated precisely because it was played at home, in passionate stadiums with vibrant crowds and the feeling that the trophy truly “belonged” to them. Today, most Italians must settle for watching it on TV, often at times adjusted for foreign markets. Traveling all the way to Riyadh is beyond most supporters’ reach, leaving the competition disconnected from its roots.
This is where the sense of “lost poetry” in modern football arises. It is not just nostalgia, but the fear that in chasing revenue, the sport drifts too far from its people. The Super Cup should be a celebration for Italian fans, a trophy of pride and tradition. Moving it further away risks turning it into an artificial event—richer, but less authentic.
The truth probably lies in the middle. International revenue is vital for clubs’ survival, but the bond with the domestic fan base should not be sacrificed. Perhaps alternating editions—some abroad to expand Serie A’s brand, others in Italy to give fans back their celebration—could restore balance between business and tradition.
The 2025 Italian Super Cup in Riyadh confirms a clear trend: Italian football has chosen the path of internationalization, driven by the need for revenue and global competitiveness. It is a logical choice, but not without consequences. Because if the financial accounts look good, the harder question remains: how much is the passion of fans worth, when their trophy has turned into an export product? Maybe those extra millions will never fill that void.
By Marta Elena Casanova
