The worst is not the impact of the first time. The worst, no doubt, is the normalization of the scenario.

Getting used to the usual segregation of women, who tend to observe everything from their small slit of the niqab . Become familiar with celebrating that a woman can finally take a flyer, sit where she feels like on a soccer field or process a passport without the permission of a man or guardian. And, of course, get used to the disturbing daily life of the null public presence of opponents - in the streets and of course in the stands - who can discuss the activities of an absolute monarchy. No banners claiming the freedom of activists like Loujain Alhathloul , imprisoned after fighting the male guardianship system. Without anyone asking for more answers for complaints of systematic torture proclaimed by organizations such as Amnesty International. Without anyone claiming the end of the Yemen war. The only fabrics deployed during the three games, beyond those referring to the teams, those of the king and the crown prince in the same center of the field. The normality.

THE ORGANIZATION

Impeccable in sports, low profile in everything else

The Super Cup that the Spanish Football Federation sold to Saudi Arabia attracted local audiences and frightened fans of competing teams. Of course, he achieved an organization without fault, with the imposing and modern King Abdullah Stadium as the center of ceremonies. Beyond twisting a competition system that allowed the presence in the final of two clubs that had not won neither League nor Cup, the tournament offered duels of high competitive and media load, especially the Barcelona-Atlético that inaugurated the operetta with Ernesto Valverde and Xavi Hernández as protagonists. The final, with the Madrid derby, held a determined meeting in the penalty shootout. It was not surprising that in the ceremony prior to the final meeting, which consisted simply of the deployment of Real Madrid and Atlético shirts, no women participated.

THE ROLE OF WOMEN

Freedom of access, but minority presence in the stands

Women can enter the soccer fields of Saudi Arabia from January 12, 2018, the day a match between Al-Ahli and Al-Batin was played. They were held, however, in the so-called "spaces for families." Sectors that are also found in coffee shops or restaurants and that prevent them from sharing habitat with single men.

During the Spanish Super Cup, the women present did not have that limitation and could sit alone. No men to control them by his side. They trust that that is the norm. The Spanish Federation, however, did not export the Spanish Women's Super Cup to Saudi Arabia. It was not the time. The presence of women in the stands of King Abdullah Stadium, in any case, was very minor. The organization did seek to make them visible in other tasks within the stadium, especially as stewards or as assistants in the stands.

THE LOOT

The 120 million euros in three years, almost half for clubs

120 million euros were signed in exchange for disputing the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia for three years, with almost half the loot in prizes for the clubs in dispute. The first edition has been played in Jeddah, although, as was the case with the same Italian tournament, the tournament could also be held in the country's capital, Riyadh.

The sale of the tournament's television rights, broadcast in Spain by Movistar + after RTVE refused to bid on it, went from 2.4 to 11 million euros. «We were in crisis. We have achieved that a Third club not only does not lose the 30,000 euros that it has obtained so far, but also earns more than 40,000. Or that a second one can go from 70,000 to more than 100,000 euros. This Super Cup is oxygen for us, ”Rubiales defended this week during his visit to the holy city of Medina. The day he approached Muhammad's mountain.

THE ASSISTANCE

Rejection of club fans, but almost full bleachers

The clubs sold 1,076 of the 12,000 tickets they had available. Although with a very important caveat. Almost all of them went to Middle Eastern fans. To give an example, of the 300 locations that managed to place the Barca club, only 34 fans left from Barcelona. Fans that, after seeing how his team was eliminated and with the whole week in Jeddah paid, they could not even go to the final because their tickets only gave access to it if Barça was one of the finalists. Florentino Pérez, president of Real Madrid, gave 70 tickets to Spanish Vueling workers destined for these months in Jeddah.

A total of 58,410 spectators went to the semifinal between Barcelona and Atlético. The party that least interest awoke was that of the first semifinal (Real Madrid-Valencia), with 40,877 spectators of the 62,345 that the stadium has as capacity. The final recorded an attendance 59,053 fans.

The boos to Ernesto Valverde every time he was shown by the video markers, the ecstasy generated by Messi or the passion for Real Madrid in the final duel against Atlético set the preferences against matches played with temperatures around 20 degrees.

«We knew that the Super Cup was going to go from being little more than a summer bolus to a very important competition. It is the most important short official tournament in the world ». This was not understood in Spain.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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