This year's edition of the Spanish Super Cup continues to bring news. Or rather, losing some of those implanted last season. The first was the return from the competition to Spain. The COVID pandemic has made it impossible to play in Saudi Arabia and will be played in three cities in Andalusia (Córdoba, Malaga and Seville). But also, in this edition there will be no scoring technology. The famous Hawkeye, that instantly alerts the referee's clock if the ball has entered the goal or not, which was announced just over a year ago by the arbitration collective and the Spanish Football Federation.
Last season the three matches of the Spanish Super Cup were played in the same stadium, the King Abdullah Sports City of Jeddah, which they adapted from the Federation for goal technology. Instead, this year it will be played on three fields from three different locations, which would have forced us to adapt all three. For operational reasons, as pointed out to AS from the Federation, the Hawkeye will not be used, since It would have meant mounting 14 cameras on each field and FIFA certifying each stadium for their use.
Further, it is necessary to take into account in which stadiums it is going to be held. The first semifinal (Wednesday, 9:00 p.m.) between Real Sociedad and Barcelona will be in the New Archangell, field of Córdoba, team that plays in Second B. The other semifinal, the one that measures Real Madrid and Athletic (Thursday, 21:00) will take place at The Rose Garden, Malaga stadium, of Second division. The final will be on Sunday 17 in La Cartuja, a stadium that has hardly been used in recent years and in which no team plays and it will be used for the Super Cup and for the Copa del Rey finals.
Another novelty will be in the VAR. It will be Champions style in terms of infrastructure. That is to say, the VOR room (where the VAR operators and referees are reviewing the images of the match) It will not be in the Ciudad del Fútbol de Las Rozas, as used for LaLiga. It will be carried out from mobile units located on the outskirts of each stadium. As it happens in the Champions League. An unusual practice, but one that is also motivated by the fact that stadiums such as the Nuevo Arcángel or La Cartuja have never been arbitrated with this technology and are not prepared to connect directly with the Las Rozas VOR, so it must be done with mobile units. A VAR room that still does not know if it will have two First First referees reviewing the images or one and an assistant, as is often the case in LaLiga. Designations will be League style, 48 hours in advance.