Dimitris Kouimtsidis
ATLETICO Madrid have beaten Barcelona 3-2 to reach the final of the controversial Spanish Super Cup.
With this win the Rojiblancos set up an all-Madrid final as they are due to face off against arch rivals Real on Sunday at 7pm.
This year’s competition has been marred with controversy for being held in Saudi Arabia.
The Super Cup used to be contested across two legs between the winners of La Liga and the winners of the Copa del Rey.
However, since 2018 the format has changed, with a single game being played in that year in Tangiers, Morocco.
But this year it changed even more, becoming a competition involving four teams, played in a country notorious for its abuses of human rights.
Why is the Spanish Super Cup held in Saudi Arabia, not Spain?
According to Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde the reason is money.
Valverde said: “The bottom line is football has become a business and as a business it looks for income, that’s the reason we are all here.”
Amid the controversy it could be argued that the decision to host the tournament in Saudi Arabia has also helped improve human rights, as the agreement was signed only once it was guaranteed that women would be allowed to attend the matches.
