Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille are set to renew their fierce rivalry in a special edition of the French Super Cup in Kuwait. The match will take place at Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium at 9 p.m. on Jan. 7, Arab Times reported. Both clubs arrived in the country earlier this week and held training sessions ahead of the showdown.
The Kuwait Football Association president Sheikh Ahmad Al-Yousef welcomed the Paris Saint-Germain delegation during their visit. Attendees included Bashar Abdullah, director of the Public Authority for Sport, Abdulmohsen Al-Faqan, chairman of Kuwait Airways, and Dr. Saleh Al-Majroub, secretary general of the association, the newspaper said. This marks a notable occasion for Kuwaiti football.
Marseille head coach Roberto De Zerbi named a squad featuring high-profile players for the fixture. Those selected include Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Mason Greenwood, Matt O’Riley, Geoffrey Kondogbia, Emil Højbjerg, Emerson Palmieri, Benjamin Pavard and Facundo Medina. The choices reflect the significance attached to the trophy contest.
Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique went with a lineup headed by Marquinhos, Ousmane Dembélé, Vitinha, Fabian Ruiz, Gonçalo Ramos, Bradley Barcola, Warren Zaïre-Emery and Nuno Mendes. The squad will be without several key players. Achraf Hakimi and Ibrahim Mbaye are away on Africa Cup of Nations duty with their countries while Kang-in Lee, Matvey Safonov and Quentin Ndjantou are injured, according to the report.
After 17 rounds of Ligue 1, PSG hold second position with 39 points, one behind leaders Lens. Marseille stand third on 32 points. The standings illustrate the form both teams carry into the Super Cup, Arab Times figures show.
The match will be overseen by a French refereeing team headed by international referee Thomas Léonard. This ensures familiarity with the competing sides and the competition’s standards. The appointment was confirmed ahead of the Kuwait-hosted event.
The clash revives the storied Le Classique rivalry. According to ESPN, the competition between the clubs intensified in the 1980s following PSG’s first league title in 1986 and Marseille’s takeover by businessman Bernard Tapie. Media promotion and on-field contests in the 1990s heightened the animosity further. The rivalry continues to draw significant attention in French football.
Hosting the Super Cup in Kuwait follows a trend of taking the competition abroad. Earlier editions have been staged in countries across Asia, North America and elsewhere to grow the sport’s international profile, a Ligue 1 assessment found.
