2021 UEFA Super Cup all you need to know: Chelsea vs Villarreal
Wednesday, August 11, 2021
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Chelsea will face Villarreal at the National Football Stadium at Windsor Park in Belfast on 11 August.
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Who will contest the UEFA Super Cup?
The UEFA club competition season curtain-raiser pits together the winners of the previous season's UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League. So in 2021, it will be Chelsea against Villarreal.
When and where does it take place?
The match takes place at the National Football Stadium at Windsor Park in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on Wednesday 11 August, kicking off at 21:00 CET (20:00 local time).
This venue follows Prague (2013), Cardiff (2014), Tbilisi (2015), Trondheim (2016), Skopje (2017), Tallinn (2018), Istanbul (2019) and Budapest (2020) as cities to stage the UEFA Super Cup since the fixture switched from its long-term home of Monaco.
Who is the referee?
Where to watch the game on TV
Local broadcast partner(s) will appear here when confirmed.
Can I apply for tickets?
Tickets went on sale on Friday 30 July and the application window closed at 16:00 CET on Monday 2 August.
There will be an overall maximum of capacity of 13,000 spectators, all of whom will be asked to show proof of a negative PCR or lateral flow COVID test on entry in line with the applicable local legislation. Kiosks inside the ground on the concourse areas will not be selling food and drink.
Supporters from abroad will have to comply with border entry restrictions and requirements that will be in force at the time of the match, as no exemptions will be granted to ticket holders.
Communication on ticket sales to fans of the finalist teams will be managed by the respective clubs. Further information is available here.
What is the UEFA Super Cup?
An annual fixture contested by the reigning champions of the two main European club competitions, devised by Dutch reporter Anton Witkamp to decide definitively the top club side in Europe. The European Cup/UEFA Champions League holders have always been involved, facing the holders of either the European/UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (1973–99) or the UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League (2000–).
Do this year's teams have UEFA Super Cup pedigree?
This will be Chelsea's fifth UEFA Super Cup appearance, a tally bettered by five teams: Barcelona (9), AC Milan (7), Real Madrid (7), Liverpool (6) and Sevilla (6). The Blues have a mixed record, though:
1998: W1-0 vs Real Madrid (Monaco)
2012: L1-4 vs Atlético (Monaco)
2013: L2-2, 4-5pens vs Bayern (Prague)
2019: L2-2, 4-5pens vs Liverpool (Istanbul)
Do the European champions usually win?
UEFA Champions League winners Bayern lifted the trophy in 2020, but this pattern is certainly not always the case. The European Cup/UEFA Champions League holders have won 25 of the 45 editions. Find a full rundown of UEFA Super Cup records and statistics here.
By contrast, it will be Villarreal's first UEFA Super Cup outing; the UEFA Europa League title was, in fact, only their second ever trophy – their first was winning the Spanish third tier in 1970 (though they were among the three clubs that won through the UEFA Intertoto Cup in both 2003 and 2004).
