Why is the Spanish Super Cup being held in Arabia?: the millions of euros that the RFEF earns

The Spanish Super Cup has traveled to Saudi Arabia for another year, where it has been held since 2020, after reformulating its format in 2019 and deciding to move to the Arab country for the sake of a sporting and economic boost.

Four years ago, the then president of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), Luis Rubiales, decided to revolutionize the traditional match between the League champion and the winner of the Copa del Rey.

He turned this duel into a four-way final with Cup champion and runner-up and first and second in the Spanish championship to give more sporting excitement to the title, but above all he sent the tournament to Arabia, in search of air for the RFEF coffers.

The federation agreed to a first contract for three years until 2022, but a subsequent renegotiation confirmed the maintenance of the tournament in the Arab country until 2029.

“Spanish football has achieved 400 million euros (438.3 million dollars); 200 million (219 million dollars) for the participating teams and another 200 for modest football”said Rubiales in a press conference in 2022.

The new contract means “that Arabia will pay (per edition) 40 million euros (43 million dollars) without even going to play there and half of that money goes to modest teams,” explained Rubiales, who resigned in September after the scandal over the non-consensual kiss of international Jenni Hermoso after the Women’s World Cup final.

The former federation president was referring to the 2021 Super Cup, won by Athletic Bilbao and the only one that was played in Spain since the signing of the contract with Arabia, due to the Covid pandemic.

The following three editions have been held in Riyadh, after the first was played in 2020 in the coastal city of Jeddah.

“Playing here (in Spain) the RFEF previously received 120,000 euros ($131,701) and now 40 million”Rubiales insisted during an RFEF assembly in 2022.

To this, we must add around 6 million euros (6.5 million dollars), which, according to the Spanish press, the Federation charges annually for the television rights to the tournament, which has the Movistar+ platform until 2025.

The RFEF always defended the change as a way to increase its aid to modest football in Spain, to which, according to Rubiales, half of the income from the tournament is allocated.

“Since the Super Cup was played in Saudi, the clubs have received 400% more than we received historically”stated Luis Daza months ago, president of the modest Huétor Tajar, of the Third Federation, equivalent to the fifth category of Spanish football.