Oscar Maya Belchí
Riyadh, 14 Jan. The Spanish Super Cup, organized by the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), lives its third edition in Saudi Arabia, the first with a classic between Real Madrid and Barcelona in the final in a market that the organization classifies as a “young” , in “very clear expansion and attracting investment” and that has “a population with a very important consumption capacity”, which makes brands more interested in Spanish football.
“The Spanish Super Cup, now taking place in Saudi Arabia, allows us to open up to a very young market such as the Middle East, which is clearly expanding and attracting investment. Not only from companies in the area, but also from companies from everyone who comes to invest here because they understand that there is a growing population and that it is opening up to the rest of the planet. It is also a population with a very important consumption capacity,” Rubén Rivera, marketing director of the RFEF.
A tournament that opens frontiers for Spanish football in terms of sports, sponsorships and investment in it.
The Spanish Super Cup has, in addition to its usual portfolio of sponsors, the support of Neom, the vertical and straight-line city project promoted by the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammad bin Salman.
The last sponsor that has been associated with the RFEF has also taken into account its incursion into Saudi Arabia. The metaverse and non-fungible token company -NFT- 3D Factory, from South Korea, goes hand in hand with the organization in its international expansion.
“This shows that there are brands that are very interested in Spanish soccer, but more resources are still captured when that Spanish soccer opens up to play in other countries where the market is much older and younger than ours,” said Rubén Rivera. .
For his part, Jorge Mowinckel, director of Strategy and International Relations of the RFEF, emphasizes the importance of the tournament to “develop Saudi football”.
“It does so with a firm commitment and with very active involvement. The Federation helps open up this sport to the women’s world and allows us to have influence and serve as a model to a corner of the world that was previously very difficult to reach,” he said. to EFE.
“This week, a RFEF delegation headed by Ana Álvarez, RFEF Women’s Football Director, and by Jorge Vilda, senior coach, traveled to Dammam to hold numerous meetings with Saudi women’s football officials and board members. We try to help as much as possible in the training of coaches and referees and we help the Saudi Arabian Federation to encourage the recruitment of players so that they continue to grow, he said.
“In Dammam, in addition, and as proof of the progress, the first televised match in the history of the local women’s team was played on Wednesday. And Arabia, with its victory against Mauritius, has entered the FIFA ranking for the first time” , complete.
A vision regarding the development of Saudi society in women’s sports and the opening of new markets that began since the Spanish Super Cup was held for the first time in the Middle Eastern country in 2020.
In 2021, the restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic prevented their dispute in Saudi Arabia and “difficult” the development of new actions and businesses that have already been launched with a view “to the medium term”, since the agreement between the RFEF and the government of Saudi Arabia is currently extended until 2029. EFE
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