SUMMARY
- Spanish Supercup will be staged in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on January 11th, with FC Barcelona playing Osasuna in the evening.
- Part of the reason they were in the Middle East was to promote human rights and attitudes, something that Barcelona feels they haven't done enough of to keep their supporters safe.
For the fourth year running, the Spanish Supercup will be staged in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on January 11th, with FC Barcelona playing Osasuna in the evening. The Royal Spanish Football Federation earns about €40 million ($43.7 million) from this, but they have often said that part of the reason they were in the Middle East was to promote human rights and attitudes, something that Barcelona feels they haven’t done enough of to keep their supporters safe.
According to Diario AS, FC Barcelona has released a set of guidelines for their supporters ahead of the game, with a special focus on the LGBTQIA+ community. Saudi Arabia is a very strict and disciplined country regarding their laws and rules and no misbehavior will be tolerated as per their government.
Atención al mensaje del Barça a los aficionados en Arabia Saudí:
-“Se recomienda tener respeto en las demostraciones de afecto”
-“El comportamiento indecente podría tener consecuencias legales”
-“Podrían sancionarse las relaciones LGTBI y el apoyo a esos colectivos” pic.twitter.com/yRj5JignTZ— Albert Ortega (@AlbertOrtegaES1) January 8, 2024
Supporters of Barcelona have been cautioned that it is completely banned to consume alcohol, narcotics, or pork products in Saudi Arabia. They have also been urged to “adopt discreet attitudes in public places,” “respect customs,” and “avoid large gatherings, particularly at public or religious events.”
Given that Barcelona describes itself as “more than a club,” some might have anticipated them to be more vocal about their opposition to playing in a nation where its supporters cannot feel comfortable due to their identity. Even though the Blaugrana have been advocating for women’s rights and flying the rainbow flag for the past year, they will still be earning a substantial sum of money to play in Saudi Arabia.
FC Barcelona winger Raphina set to leave for Saudi Arabia in the summer?
Barcelona’s financial status has improved recently thanks to the sales of marginal players. This hasn’t stopped the ownership from exploring offers for a few players in their starting lineup, though. Raphinha, the winger, is one of them. Al Hilal, owned by Neymar Jr., has expressed interest in the player and may be able to entice the Brazilian to leave the Catalan team with a sizable offer.
It would be intriguing to observe if Raphinha relocates to Saudi Arabia. Barcelona, on the other hand, will closely monitor the course of events in January. Moving in the course of the summer transfer window, as opposed to January, is more likely.
🚨𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆: Barcelona hoping for Saudi payday as Al Hilal prepare summer move for Raphina. 🇸🇦📰
(✍️: AllFootball) pic.twitter.com/y5dgatHR8W
— Daily Football (@goatedfootballl) January 6, 2024
Current Saudi soccer league leaders Al Hilal paid hefty transfer sums to get Neymar and Malcolm during the most recent summer transfer window. Malcolm has made an impression, but Neymar is still healing from his chronic injury. Recently, with the start of the January transfer window, media in Spain has connected another Brazilian to a transfer.
Diario Sport reports that Raphinha, a winger for Barcelona, is wanted by the Blues Waves. Additionally, according to the report, the soccer team will not let him go in January. They would, however, evaluate the circumstances during the upcoming summer transfer season.