All unpopular opinions require an explanation. And in order to clarify our opinion that the holding of the Super Cup in the northern capital is not without reason, let’s first examine the explanations for this decision coming directly from the RFU.
According to the statement of the head of the organization Alexander Dyukov, it was decided to hold the Super Cup match in St. Petersburg based on the following considerations:
– financial factor: Organizing a match in St. Petersburg will bring the RFU much more income than in any other city. This is the capacity of the Gazprom Arena, the calculations of marketers and the possibility of paying bonuses to participants of a larger amount.
– organizational factor: according to Dyukov, St. Petersburg has a clear advantage over other cities in terms of organization, since the city was preparing to host the Champions League final before being deprived of this right. As part of the preparation for the final of the main European club tournament, temporary infrastructure has been created in the city that can be used during the Super Bowl match, and above all, new security procedures have been developed.
– priority factor: in St. Petersburg, the match of the Russian Super Cup has not yet taken place once.
Of course, Dyukov mentioned a few additional points, such as organizing the shows according to new standards, but the decision is based on the three factors listed above. Therefore, let’s analyze each of them.
– financial factor: there is nothing to argue – the facts, as they say, are obvious. “Gazprom-Arena” significantly exceeds other stadiums in the country in terms of capacity, with the exception of “Luzhniki”, which, of course, is more profitable than holding a match in Nizhny Novgorod or Kazan. And given that this time in the Super Cup we will see one of the hottest confrontations in Russian football – the derby of the two capitals – there is no doubt that the stadium will be almost packed.
Another thing is that the explanations of the RFU about the impossibility of holding a match in Luzhniki seem somewhat strange, although Spartak insisted on this option, offering to invite foreign referees to serve the match additionally. The organization complained about the arena’s high workload on the days the match was scheduled to take place. But here it would not be out of place to recall that in order to organize the Super Cup, the concert of the group “Hands Up”, scheduled for July 9, was postponed from St. Petersburg. According to information from Zenit, such a scenario was agreed with the group, but its director Robert Poghosyan called the decision “a stab in the back”, which clearly suggests that someone is obviously dishonest. It is not clear what events are planned in Luzhniki in the first half of July and why they cannot be treated in the same way as long-suffering Sergei Zhukov, but it clearly indicates the great interest of some people in organizing the game. in the city on the Neva.
– organizational factor: St. Petersburg was preparing to host the Champions League final, and that’s a fact that doesn’t need to be confirmed either. And the questions of new safety standards developed just in time for this event are very relevant in this case. After all, it will be a match in which two irreconcilable rivals meet, which can be fraught with riots, fights between fans and other unpleasant incidents. And given the propensity of supporters for hooliganism at away matches, sending two giant waves of supporters to the regions actually seems risky.
And I fully understand that not only St. Petersburg, but also Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Kaliningrad and even Saransk hosted the 2018 World Cup, but a lot of water has flowed under the bridge in four years and the organization of sports events in these cities have largely returned to regional. I repeat that it is of crucial importance this time, in the context of the sign that carries the game for the Super Bowl. After all, the previous three Supercups, in which only Zenit and Lokomotiv have faced each other, could well have happened anywhere. Yes, they are also two giants of Russian football, but the fans of both clubs are completely neutral towards each other, which cannot be said about the upcoming Super Cup.
– priority factor: everything is obvious here too – St. Petersburg has never hosted a Super Cup match. Another thing, given the number of matches of different levels that have taken place at the Zenith over the years, the match for this trophy will obviously not become the main event in the life of the city. People will go because Zenit – Spartak, not because the Super Bowl. But “Zenith” – “Spartak” in St. Petersburg – an annual event, unlike the same Kazan or Nizhny Novgorod.
As you can see, despite all the criticism, there are rational explanations for the decision to hold the Super Cup match in St. Petersburg.
Why so much outrage? Not at all because the game will take place in St. Petersburg, but because the Super Cup is completely devoid of elementary rules. There would be no disputes and threats of boycott if at least one of the two points were written in black and white in the rules:
– the venue of the match is approved one year before its start;
– a match cannot be played in the cities which represent the teams playing there, except when clubs from the same city take part.
The absence of a legal basis always leads to disagreements, which later lead to major conflicts. In order to avoid similar situations in the future, the RFU must decide on the nature of the competition itself: is the Super Cup a friendly match or, after all, an official match? If the former, then why the debate at all and what’s the difference? In the latter case, strict regulations are necessary.
Pavel Novikov, Athletistic
Source: Sport
I am Sandra Jackson, a journalist and content creator with extensive experience in the news industry. I have been working in the news media for over five years. During this time, I have worked as an author and editor at various outlets producing high-quality content that attracts readers from different demographics.
