Chelsea and Atlético to contest Super Cup

Chelsea FC and Club Atlético de Madrid will compete for the 2012 UEFA Super Cup at Monaco's Stade Louis II from 20.45CET on Friday 31 August.

Maiden UEFA Champions League winners Chelsea will be appearing in the annual showpiece for the second time as the new European club champions take on 2012 UEFA Europa League winners Atlético, who have also been involved once before.

The Blues won the trophy in 1998 as UEFA Cup Winners' Cup winners, when the match was contested as a one-off match for the first time following its permanent move to Stade Louis II. Chelsea, with current manager Roberto Di Matteo in the lineup, edged a 1-0 victory against Real Madrid CF.

Atlético were also victorious on their only UEFA Super Cup appearance, winning the 2010 edition by overcoming FC Internazionale Milano 2-0 thanks to goals by José Antonio Reyes and Sergio Agüero.

Like Chelsea, a repeat victory for the Rojiblancos would take them level with Juventus, RSC Anderlecht and Valencia CF as two-time winners, while it would also represent a second success for Atlético coach Diego Simeone, who lifted the trophy as an S.S. Lazio player when the Serie A side earned a slender 1-0 win against Manchester United FC in 1999.

The traditional curtain-raiser to the European season has been held at the Stade Louis II in Monaco every year since becoming a one-off match in 1998 yet, after this 15th edition, the showpiece will move to new surroundings, following a decision taken by the UEFA Executive Committee last June. The 2013 Super Cup will take place in Prague's Eden Stadium.