The EA SPORTS FC Supercup 2023/2024 takes place in Riyadh with a new format that expands the number of participating teams to four. Let`s explore together how the new tournament works in terms of formula and regulations

The thirty-sixth edition of the Italian Supercup restarts from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, introducing an innovative format that promises to elevate the level of entertainment. The EA SPORTS FC Supercup 2023/2024 marks a step forward for the competition, as it undergoes its first-ever transformation compared to the traditional formula inaugurated in 1988. The previous format involved a single final between the reigning Serie A TIM champion and the winner of the national cup.

The main novelty involves expanding the number of participating teams to four and conducting three matches to determine the trophy winner, including two Semi-finals and the Final. The first Semi-final, scheduled for Thursday, January 18, at 20:00 CET, features the Serie A TIM 2022/2023 Champion, Napoli, facing the Coppa Italia Frecciarossa 2022/2023 Runner-up, Fiorentina. The second Semi-final, set for Friday, 19 January at 20:00 CET, sees the Coppa Italia Frecciarossa 2022/2023 Winner, Inter, against the Serie A TIM 2022/2023 Second-placed team, Lazio. The winners of the two Semi-finals will meet in a single-match Final on 22 Monday, January at 20:00 CET. If in the future, one or both of the finalists in the national cup coincide with the top two in the league, then the third and potentially the fourth-placed team in Serie A TIM would enter.

The new format also introduces several changes in the rules. The matches of the EA SPORTS FC Supercup 2023/2024, first and foremost, do not include extra time: in case of a draw after regular time, the referee will proceed to a penalty shootout. Another change from the past concerns the impact of disciplinary measures on the competition: any suspension incurred in Serie A TIM 2023/2024 does not apply to Supercup matches but only to the first league match following the suspension. Cautions received during Supercup matches will carry over to subsequent league games. The exception, of course, is for expulsion measures imposed in the Semi-final on a player/coach, which must be served in the Final.

(Photo Getty Images)

EA SPORTS Supercup