On Friday evening, Chelsea will contest for silverware once again. To commence our build-up to the game, the official Chelsea website looks at the Super Cup down the years…
The UEFA Super Cup was established by a Dutch journalist, Anton Witkamp, in 1972, and has grown to represent the beginning of European competition each season.
Since 1998, when we made our debut in the contest with a 1-0 win against Real Madrid (pictured), it has been a one-off affair played in Monaco, acting as a continental Community Shield contested between the European Cup winners of the previous season and first the Cup Winners’ Cup winners, and since 2000 the UEFA Cup (now Europa League) winners.
Friday night’s match, where we meet Atletico Madrid, will be the 15th and final game at the tight Stade Louis II Stadium, and from next year the Super Cup will become a roadshow stopping first in Prague, and then in Cardiff in 2014 and Tbilisi in 2015.
Prior to 1998, the competition (with one exception) had always been a two-legged affair, the first (which is not recognised by UEFA) pitting Ajax against Rangers in 1972, the Dutch side coming off best after victory in Glasgow was repeated in Amsterdam.
That exception was in 1991, when Red Star Belgrade were not permitted to play in their war-torn Yugoslavia and so met Manchester United at Old Trafford. Brian McClair scored the only goal.
A year later UEFA had claimed the Super Cup as their own and once again Ajax lifted the trophy following two games against AC Milan in 1974, though the following year it was not contested as Bayern Munich and FC Magdeburg could not find a convenient date, though it has been suggested the games were not played for political reasons between East and West Germany.
Since then, the Super Cup has been contested every year, with AC Milan having lifted it five times and Barcelona four. Liverpool are the most successful English club with three wins. Like us, Atletico Madrid have won it once, when they beat Inter in 2010.