In a month, UEFA Super Cup will be played at Puskás Aréna in Budapest. Game will involve Champions League winner, Bayern München, and the Spanish side of Sevilla FC, after the success in Europa League.
This will be the first official trophy of 2020-21 season and hopefully, according to last reports, UEFA will make all efforts to allow at least a certain mumber of spectators for this game. A further step ahead, wating for a full return to normality. But let's focus on the prediction...
One year ago it was definitely surprising for us to read Stéphanie Frappart's name, as referee in charge of this game, a very particular decision by committee. Assuming that everything is always possible, in case of a similar appointment, it would be impossible to make a prediction. However, I think that this time a male Elite referee will be appointed, as it was in previous seasons, before 2019.
So let's focus on the full list of Elite referees. As first step, we can surely rule out referees from the same nationality of teams, so Carlos del Cerro, Antonio Mateu, Jesús Gil, Manzano, Felix Brych, Deniz Ayekin and Feliz Zwayer will not be there.
So now, we can guess that the referees who already got this game will not be appointed again, given also that there are several valid options for committee. At the same time let's also rule out the names who officiated a final at the end of this very particular season. So: Daniele Orsato, Bjorn Kuipers, Danny Makkelie, Szymon Marciniak, William Collum and Damir Skomina.
Among the remaning names, I would exclude the Elite referees who don't seem likely to handle this game, due to the need of further experience, mostly because Elite since a too short time, they are: Alexey Kulbakov, Orel Grinfeeld, Istvan Kovacs, Ivan Kruzliak, Slavko Vincic.
The next cut is about performances and consideration by committee, this field starts to be more subjective than previous selections, so you may also disagree with me. I would eliminate: Pavel Kralovec, Anastasios Sidiropoulos, Artur Dias, Benoit Bastien. In my opinion it would be very surprising to see one of them in the middle for this game.
The remaning names are: Michael Oliver, Anthony Taylor, Clément Turpin, Ovidiu Hategan, Sergei Karasev and Cuneyt Çakır.
We could start with the Russian: since he was not among the referees appointed for the recent KO stage after the lockdown, it is quite unlikely to see him directly in this game. However, the Russian was reported by some sources as selected officials for EURO 2020 (names were not revealed by UEFA) so for sure his appointment, in case, wouldn't be really surprising. He is Elite by a quite long time, however he never reached a real pinnacle, and I really would like to see him back as the old Karasev, but a very long time has passed.
I talked about Cüneyt Çakır in a very negative way in recent times, we should admit that his last performance in Barcelona was not good, however regarding a possible appointment for this game, I wouldn't have problems in that. It is very particular that a so experienced and long-time FIFA referee never got more than "only one" final. In case, it would be deserved not for the recent performances, but as long-career reward, and he stays as candidate.
Regarding both English officials, at moment we can clearly see that Taylor is ahead in terms of consideration by committee, and in case of an English appointment for this game, one should think to Taylor rather than Oliver without doubts. The former indeed stays as candidate for this match. For the latter, time will come.
A very long speech could be made about Clément Turpin, who, to be honest, would be even the first candidate for this game, but in this regard an obvious mention must be done again for Frappart's appointment one year ago, with Turpin, appointed as VAR for the English derby between Chelsea and Liverpool in 2019 edition. Unluckily for Turpin, this assignment makes very unlikely that committee could select again him for this game for the second year in a row. However, in case he will get it, this will be absolutely deserved and nothing to say. Being kept for something more would be however a good thing for French, because at moment (August 2020) he is the first strong candidate for the two major finals at the end of 2020-21 season. In any case, he shouldn't be worried.
The last chapter of this analysis is finally dedicated to my prediction: I think that at moment, a strong candidate without any particular issue for this game, is Ovidiu Hategan without doubts. Despite of several good performances shown, he didn't manage to get deserved games in the last stages of Champions League. Maybe a reason behind that is the fact that committee had already in mind to appoint him for a Super Cup. Such an assignment, once made, would be a very good achievement and without doubts a great step for the future. I think that committee has a quite different consideration about Super Cup, than Champions and Europa League finals. This speech wouldn't be something against Hategan, but just to highlight that he can be for sure the right name, waiting for more sonorous achievements in future.
So my final prediction is team Hategan, with maybe Italian VARs, as Hategan works with them, but in this case a different option could be possible given that there were already Italian VARs at Champions League final.
And you? What is your prediction about Super Cup? Just write a comment and let us know.
