Will teams be exchanged?
Top Italian clubs refuse Super Cup in Saudi Arabia
October 10, 2023, 9:18 p.m
Huge stir in Italian football: As several media reports, SSC Napoli and AC Fiorentina are not ready to take part in the Supercup in Saudi Arabia. The clubs face a fine and even exclusion from the competition.
The Italian football champions SSC Napoli and AC Fiorentina are apparently said to refuse to compete in the Italian Super Cup in Saudi Arabia on January 20, 2024. This was reported by the media, and both clubs have asked the league to play the game in Italy.
Above all, the tense international situation caused by Hamas’ massive attack on Israel and the logistical difficulties are said to be the reasons for the negative attitude. “There could be an air blockade over these areas,” Naples owner Aurelio De Laurentiis told the ANSA news agency: “How can you even think of putting 120 players worth as much as them on a plane? All that , just to make a few million more?”
De Laurentiis therefore suggested the Italian capital Rome as the new venue. “Let’s just do it at the Stadio Olimpico,” said the owner: “It’s not that I want to boycott it. I just asked that we think about it (moving the tournament, editor).” However, according to Gazzetta dello Sport, the league has announced that this is not possible given the contracts that have already been signed.
If the two clubs insist on their demands and do not play in Saudi Arabia next year, they will face fines. Alternatively, the Italian league is considering bringing the teams AC Milan and Atalanta Bergamo into the competition. In the other match for a place in the final, Inter Milan will play against Lazio Rome.