November 29 – The Turkish Super Cup final between Galatasaray and Fenerbahce will be played in Saudi Arabia, despite the protests of both clubs.
The clubs insist that the match should take place in Turkey because of the centenary of the declaration of the country as a Republic. Instead the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) have said the game will be played at Al-Awwal Park (King Saud University) Stadium in Riyadh on December 29.
The move coincides with the fourth edition of Riyadh Season, an annual state-sponsored entertainment and sports festival.
TFF president Mehmet Büyükekşi said: “We wanted to play in Germany. Germany did not allow the two Turkish teams to play a match for security reasons. England rejected for the same reasoning. No European country allows it. Azerbaijan invited us but there is no money there. Organising the Super Cup in Saudi Arabia will be beneficial for the brand value of Turkish football.
Later the TFF issued a statement saying: “As the Turkish Football Federation, we are working to increase the brand value of Turkish football, and on the other hand, we are working to open our football to the world by reaching new markets. The recent successes of our National Team and the rising performance of our club teams in the European Cups are the most important indicators of our efforts to increase the brand value of Turkish football.
“The 2024 European Football Championship, in which we qualified to participate as the leader of our group for the first time in our history, and the 2032 European Football Championship, which we will organize jointly with Italy, will be very important organizations that will bring Turkish football to the world showcase.
“In order for these successes to become sustainable, our clubs must reach financially competitive levels… We aim to bring the prestige of our football abroad, just like the Premier League, La Liga and Serie A, which are the leagues with the highest brand and market value in the world, and generate more income with new sponsorship and cooperation models,” the statement continued.
Contact the writer of this story, Aleksander Krassimirov, at moc.l1716005615labto1716005615ofdlr1716005615owedi1716005615sni@o1716005615fni1716005615