UEFA Super Cup: Real Madrid’s triple motivation vs Eintracht Frankfurt
Los Blancos will have as great an incentive as ever to win another Super Cup when they face the German team on Wednesday, but why?
The time has come for Real Madrid and Eintracht Frankfurt. The first official European trophy of the new season will be contested, as every year, by the Champions League titleholders and the Europa League champs.
The match will be held in Helsinki, Finland, and it will be the first time that the teams have played each other officially since 1960 when Los Blancos thrashed the Germans 7-3 in the European Cup final, with Ferenc Puskas scoring four goals.
Los Blancos want to win all six available trophies
Despite winning the LaLiga and Champions League titles, Carlo Ancelotti’s men are ambitious and want to make history this upcoming season.
With summer arrivals Antonio Rüdiger and Aurélien Tchouaméni, the Italian coach is satisfied and confident their squad is now even stronger than last campaign’s.
Ancelotti hasn’t entirely ruled out the possibility of his Real Madrid side winning the Sextuple. “I don’t know if we’ll do it, because it’s very complicated, but the squad is very good and I have enormous faith in it,” he told reporters at Tuesday’s press conference in Helsinki.
Real Madrid vs Eintracht Frankfurt: the money prize
The winner of Wednesday’s game will take home €5 million in prize money, which is a considerable amount for only one game.
For the Spanish giants, it may not have a huge impact on their economy, but for the more modest Eintracht, who suffered a humiliating 6-1 loss at home to Bayern Munich on the opening matchday of the Bundesliga, it could mean a noticeable boost to their finances.
Still, Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez will likely be happy to add an extra €5m to their healthy economy, especially after saving a large quantity of money that was destined for the signing of superstar Kylian Mbappé, who finally decided to stay at PSG.
Real Madrid and their rivalry with FC Barcelona
Winning a European trophy is always a motivating goal for any team, but this time Madrid will have another incentive to lift the trophy: if they manage to come out on top, they will become the Super Cup’s joint-most successful club with FC Barcelona, with five titles.
Los Merengues won their first Super Cup in 2002, beating Feyenoord 3-1. Barcelona picked up their first Super Cup title 10 years earlier in 1992, winning 3-2 over two legs against German side Werder Bremen.
The European Super Cup could be the first of Real’s long list wish of trophies for this season, but the rivalry with their Catalan arch rivals will surely continue in Spain and in Europe, especially taking into account that Barça have built one of the strongest squads in the world with the signings of Robert Lewandowski, Jules Koundé, Andreas Christensen, Raphinha and Franck Kessié so far.