RIYADH: The 36th Supercoppa Italiana kicks off in Riyadh on Thursday, offering football fans in Saudi Arabia the chance to experience firsthand all the passion and thrills of Italian football.
This year marks the fourth time the Kingdom has hosted the event, officially known as the EA Sports FC Supercup. For the first time it features both the winners and runners-up of Serie A and the Coppa Italia, rather than only the champions of each.
Napoli will face Fiorentina in the first semifinal on Thursday, and defending champions Inter Milan will take on Lazio on Friday. Both games, and the final on Monday will take place Al-Awwal Park, the 25,000-capacity home ground of Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr. All matches kick off at 10 p.m. local time.
The Italian Football Federation has a long history of showcasing the Supercup around the globe. The competition was introduced in 1988 and was held outside Italy for the first time five years later, in 1993, when AC Milan beat Torino in Washington, D. C.
Since then, the event has been held one other time in America, once in Libya, four times in China and twice in Qatar. Saudi Arabia hosted it for the first time in 2018. The previous three Supercups in the Kingdom attracted a combined crowd of about 125,000 fans and the games were broadcast around the world.
This year the Supercup will have a dedicated match ball for the first time in the competition’s history. In celebration of the expansion of the event to a four-team format, sports equipment brand Puma and Serie A have created a new version of the Orbita Serie A 2023/2024 ball that has a unique golden color.
The Supercup is touted by Saudi officials as one of the first high-profile events in what promises to be the biggest year yet for international sport in the Kingdom, and the latest example of the country’s commitment to hosting the very best international competitions.
The Italian Supercup follows hot on the heels of its Spanish equivalent last week, also in Riyadh, in which Real Madrid beat Barcelona 4-1 in the final.
Visit webook.com to purchase tickets for the EA Sports FC Supercup.
Supercoppa Italiana kicks off in Riyadh on Thursday as Saudi Arabia hosts event for 4th time
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Supercoppa Italiana kicks off in Riyadh on Thursday as Saudi Arabia hosts event for 4th time

- Napoli will take on Fiorentina in first semifinal of the EA Sports FC Supercup, which this year features 4 teams for the first time
- Defending champions Inter Milan will face Lazio on Friday and the winners of the two games will meet in the final on Monday
AFC Champions League semifinal heartache for Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr

- Victory for the Riyadh side would have set up an all-Saudi final against Al-Ahli but they lose 3-2 to Kawasaki Frontale of Japan in Jeddah
- Jhon Duran has chance to make it 3-3 from close range in the closing minutes but fails to make contact
JEDDAH: Despite the best efforts of Cristiano Ronaldo and his teammates, Al-Nassr lost 3-2 to Kawasaki Frontale in the semifinal of the AFC Champions League Elite in Jeddah on Wednesday, denying them the chance to take on Al-Ahli in an all-Saudi final on Saturday.
The Japanese side took the lead after just 10 minutes in spectacular fashion after Marcinho gained possession on the left side of the area and scooped a cross into the six-yard box. The ball was headed clear by Mohammed Simakan but only as far as Tatsuya Ito, who volleyed a delicious shot into the top corner of the net.
The goal came against run of play but Al-Nassr kept pushing and probing, and they were rewarded just two minutes before the half-hour mark. Sadio Mane cut in from the left side of the area and the shot from the former Liverpool and Bayern Munich star took a deflection as it bounced into the back of the net.
Al-Nassr continued to attack. Ronaldo headed against the woodwork and then, after 40 minutes, Jhon Duran’s fierce shot flew just wide of the post from a good position.
The Colombian was left to rue the miss when, four minutes before the break, Kawasaki restored their lead. A shot by Ito was saved by Bento but the ball bounced into the path of Yuto Ozeki, who fired home from just inside the area.
Kawasaki did not sit back in the second half and should have extended their lead but Brazilian forward Erison somehow failed to get on the end of a low cross with the goal at his mercy.
In the 76th minute he redeemed himself, however, as he skipped past Aymeric Laporte on the byline and squared the ball to Akihiro Ienaga, who tapped home from the closest of ranges to make it 3-1.
It seemed as if that would be that but with three minutes remaining Al-Nassr pulled a goal back when Ayman Yahya fired a shot into the top corner from outside the area.
Soon after, Duran had a chance to make it 3-3 from close range but failed to make contact at the crucial moment. There was still time after that for a Ronaldo free-kick to be saved by the legs of Louis Yamaguchi before the referee blew for full time.
Kawasaki will now face Al-Ahli in the final on Saturday, again at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah.
Impressive Al-Ahli down Al-Hilal to move into Champions League Asian final

- Firmino, Toney, Al-Buraikan score in Greens’ 3-1 win
- Jeddah club will face Al-Nassr or Kawasaki Frontale in Saturday’s final
JEDDAH: Al-Ahli beat Al-Hilal 3-1 on Tuesday to move into the final of the AFC Champions League Elite.
After an incident-filled semifinal showdown, the Jeddah club will face either Al-Nassr, another Riyadh giant, or Kawasaki Frontale of Japan in Saturday’s final, where one thing is for sure — there will be a new continental champion.
It was a deserved win for Al-Ahli who were on top for most of the 90-plus minutes in Jeddah. Now they prepare for their third Champions League final and in this form few would bet against them landing a first title.
Beating four-time winners Al-Hilal means that there is nothing to fear for Al-Ahli and it took just nine minutes for the fans to start celebrating. Galeno broke down the left, racing on to a fine pass and just about reached the ball before it went out of play. The Brazilian, signed in January from Porto, sent over a first-time cross for compatriot Roberto Firmino to sweep home from close range.
There were calls for offside but to the dismay of the Riyadh giants they were not upheld. There were more chances, such as Ivan Toney’s shot that went just wide after 18 minutes, as Al-Ahli continued to look the more dangerous.
Then, just before the half-hour, it was 2-0. Riyad Mahrez picked up the ball in a central position and slipped a perfect pass to the left side of the area. It was picked up by Toney who feinted past Yassine Bounou in goal and rolled the ball into an empty net.
For a while, that seemed to be that. The Greens were on top and heading into the final but Al-Hilal are not the most successful team in Saudi Arabia and Asia for nothing. This is a team, especially in continental competitions, that never knows when it is beaten.
Three minutes before the break, Salem Al-Dawsari, one of the best players in Asia, halved the deficit. For anyone who has watched Saudi Arabian football in recent years, it was a familiar goal. The ball bounced off a white-shirted defender and there was the 2022 Asian Player of the Year to pick up possession and sweep a low shot home for his 10th of the tournament. Al-Hilal were looking dangerous and just minutes before the break Malcom should have fired home at the far post to equalize from close range.
At halftime, it was anyone’s game but early in the second period, Toney saw two goals ruled out for offside.
Then, on the hour, a tough situation for Al-Hilal became a major problem. They were reduced to 10 men as Kalidou Koulibaly was red-carded for a second booking. Despite the Blues’ continental pedigree it was always going to be tough and while they poured forward in desperate search of the all-important equalizer, it was not to be. Al-Ahli continued to look the more dangerous and were denied by the woodwork on more than one occasion.
With five minutes remaining it should have been all over. Hamid Al-Yami was judged to have brought down Mahrez in the area. Up stepped Franck Kessie to seal the win but it was a tame shot from the Ivorian and was well saved by Bounou.
For once, Al-Hilal did not punish such a mistake. Eight minutes into added time, the victory — one of the most important in Al-Ahli’s history — was sealed thanks to substitute Firas Al-Buraikan.
It led to huge celebrations for many of the 50,000 crowd and the biggest prize in the world’s biggest continent is now just 90 minutes away.
Coach Stefano Pioli confident as Al-Nassr prepare for AFC Champions League Elite semi showdown

- Riyadh giant Al-Nassr are one of three Saudi Pro League sides in the semifinals
- Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli have also advanced to the last four and will meet on Tuesday
JEDDAH: Al-Nassr coach Stefano Pioli declared his side injury-free ahead of Wednesday’s Asian Champions League Elite semifinal against Kawasaki Frontale in Jeddah as the Saudi Pro League side look to reach the final for the first time in almost 30 years.
The Riyadh-based outfit last made the decider in 1995, but a brace from Jhon Duran and strikes by Sadio Mane and Cristiano Ronaldo sealed a 4-1 win over Yokohama F Marinos on Saturday to move the Saudi side to the cusp of a first title.
“We are ready for the match, but in training we will decide which group is going to play,” Pioli said. “The team is ready to play the game with great spirit, high performance.”
Al-Nassr are one of three Saudi Pro League sides in the semifinals, the first time a single nation has dominated the latter stages of the competition to such an extent.
The huge injection of cash into the country’s leading clubs by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund in 2023 which prompted the signing of numerous high-profile players from around the world is having a major impact on this year’s competition.
Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli have also advanced to the last four and will meet on Tuesday.
Japan’s Kawasaki are the only team from their half of the confederation left in the competition after their win over Qatar’s Al-Sadd, and the J-League side have been further disadvantaged by having one day less to recover than Al-Nassr.
Frontale needed extra-time to defeat Felix Sanchez’s side and coach Shigetoshi Hasebe admitted he was concerned about his players’ lack of freshness ahead of the Al-Nassr clash.
“All the players are tired because they played for 120 minutes, which is very difficult for us,” he said. “But we’ll be playing in a different stadium, so we can have a new feeling and I can imagine the players will play very well tomorrow night.”
Kawasaki midfielder Kento Tachibanada stressed it was important not to obsess over the reputations of their opponents.
“The key point is not to be afraid of the famous players and their big names,” he said. “Many people think the teams from Saudi will win, but I want to break that type of image tomorrow night.”
AFC Champions League Elite trophy tours NEOM ahead of final in Jeddah

- NEOM has been showcasing the trophy at key locations across its 26,500-square-kilometer development
JEDDAH: The official AFC Champions League Elite trophy made a special journey across NEOM this week, as excitement builds for the tournament’s final in Jeddah on Saturday.
As a tournament partner for the last eight matches of this year’s competition, including the final, NEOM has been showcasing the trophy at key locations across its 26,500-square-kilometer development.
The tour took in some of NEOM’s most striking destinations, from the snow-covered slopes of Trojena to the shores of the Adventure Sports Hub and through the NEOM Nature Region.
Accompanied by Mohammed Al-Burayk, NEOM Sports Club ambassador, the tour shone a light on the wide range of sports that are becoming central to NEOM’s vision for the future, from football and skiing to kitesurfing and beyond.
Jan Paterson, managing director of NEOM Sport, said: “Hosting the trophy at NEOM is about much more than the game. It’s a moment that connects our people and our regions to one of Asia’s top sporting stages, reflecting how sport is an integral part of the fabric of NEOM.”
NEOM’s partnership with the Asian Football Confederation has also supported several grassroots initiatives, including the Shuhub Community Youth Football Program, which has engaged around 10,000 young people across Saudi Arabia so far.
Through the collaboration, local boys and girls from football community groups have enjoyed once-in-a-lifetime experiences, including participating in AFC matches as player mascots, center circle children and the first-ever trophy handover by children at the AFC Champions League 2023/24 final.
Al-Hilal’s Jorge Jesus plays down foreign player advantage ahead of AFC Champions League semifinal against Al-Ahli

- Jesus, who has won five titles during his time at the Riyadh giants, said that both teams are familiar with each other’s strengths and the scale of the occasion
JEDDAH: Al-Hilal manager Jorge Jesus says that Al-Ahli’s larger contingent of foreign players will not be a decisive factor when the two sides meet in the AFC Elite Champions League semifinal in Jeddah on Tuesday.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference at Al-Inmaa Stadium, Jesus said: “Each team makes its own choices. Al-Ahli may have more foreign players, but having one more or one less doesn’t tip the balance.”
Jesus, who has won five titles during his time at the Riyadh giants, said that both teams are familiar with each other’s strengths and the scale of the occasion.
“We are aware of the size and intensity of this match. It’s a big continental game between two great clubs,” he said.
The Portuguese coach also praised the growing strength of Saudi Arabian football, pointing to the fact that three Saudi clubs have reached the semifinal stage.
“Having three Saudi teams in the semifinals proves the strength of Saudi football and the competitiveness of its clubs,” Jesus said.
On the other side, Al-Ahli coach Matthias Jaissle described the showdown as a “summit between two major teams” and said his players were relishing the challenge.
“It will be a tough game, and we are preparing ourselves well. Playing at home and with our fans gives us a real opportunity,” Jaissle said.
While acknowledging that Al-Hilal benefited from an extra day of rest in the run-up to the match, Jaissle was confident in Al-Ahli’s squad depth.
“We have 12 foreign players, but I don’t separate them from the Saudis. We have a strong group overall, and what matters is the performance,” he said.
Reflecting on Al-Ahli’s run to the last four, Jaissle added: “Our previous results in Asia show that we can reach the final. We trust ourselves.”