Spain's dominance over the UEFA Super Cup

It was the Dutch journalist Anton Witkamp who came up with the idea of the UEFA Super Cup during what was a great era of footballing achievements for his country. The title was conceived to further bulk up Dutch trophy cabinets. What Witkamp did not predict however was that Liga de Fútbol Profesional teams would eventually become the masters of the UEFA Super Cup.

Spanish sides have disputed the trophy awarded to the champion of European champions more times than teams from any other nation, having reached the final on 20 separate occasions. Liga BBVA clubs have also enjoyed the most amount of success on this European stage, having lifted the title eleven times, of which eight of those victories have occurred in the last thirteen years.

It all kicked off in 1980

The first Spanish side to win this trophy was Valencia CF, after having won the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup. The team from the banks of the Turia River took on the then all-powerful Nottingham Forest FC in the final, who came into the match having picked up successive UEFA Champions League titles.

Twelve years passed until a Spanish team would again reign supreme on the old continent. This time it was FC Barcelona, who triumphed in the Champions League thanks to that unforgettable Ronaldo Koeman goal. After the first match ended all square against SV Werder Bremen, Andoni Goikoetxea got the winning goal in the second leg.

Valencia, the first team to win it; Barcelona, the first team to win it twice

Five years later, Barça lifted the title once again and, just like the first time, did so against a German side, BV Borussia Dortmund. That was the Catalans second such title and the third for a Spanish team.

In 2002 Real Madrid lifted the only piece of silverware missing from the club’s trophy cabinet. Having lost in two finals (Chelsea FC and Galatasaray AS), the Whites eventually won the UEFA Super Cup against Feyenoord.

A millennium full of Spanish champions

Real Madrid’s victory at the beginning of the new millennium kicked started an era of Spanish dominance in the competition. Since 2002, of the thirteen finals that have been played, Spanish clubs have been crowned champions on eight occasions.

Following Real Madrid’s win, Valencia once again clinched the European Super Cup. Beating FC Porto 1-2 was the icing on the cake for Víctor Fernández’s team, who capped off what was the greatest ever season in the club’s history. Renato, Kanouté and Maresca all hit the mark to give Sevilla its first taste of success in the competition in the 2006 final against Barcelona.

Since 2002, Liga BBVA clubs have won eight of the thirteen titles that have been up for grabs

Barcelona’s third title in the competition in 2009 was the beginning of the Barça/Atlético duopoly in the competition: Europe was claret and blue in 2009 and 2011, and red and white in 2010 and 2012.

Diego Simeone’s side was the first team to score four goals in a UEFA Super Cup final disputed over one match in 2012. After winning a tenth European Cup title, Real Madrid, with an indomitable performance and goals from Cristiano Ronaldo, added another chapter to the club’s illustrious history with a second trophy in the competition.

The 2014 UEFA Super Cup final once again displayed the Liga BBVA’s potential, a division which year after year welcomes the best players in the world to continue its rule over European football.