It's not all about the Olympics in August, though as it's the single most-hyped event of the year, I had totally neglected to include these in my calendars. Plenty of pleasant surprises here to keep sports addicts like myself entertained for a few more days before the start of the football seasons. They are as follows:
JULY 28. TROPHEE DES CHAMPIONS 2012. The French supercup is contested between the winner of the 2011-12 French national football league (Ligue 1) and the parallel 2011-12 French league cup knockout tournament (Coupe de France). This year, it's Montpellier against Olympique Lyonnais. As with much summer football, it's played in the U.S., in NYC to be precise. While not something to brag about, supercups are always the season's first trophies, and as such put the winning team in an excellent "mood" for the upcoming season.
AUGUST 11. SUPERCOPPA ITALIANA 2012. Same as above: the Italian supercup is contested between the winner of last year's Serie A league and the winner of last year's Coppa Italia league cup, in this case Juventus-Napoli. It will be a rematch of the Coppa Italia final, which Napoli won 2-0. This match is also played abroad. As has been traditional in the last few years, Italian supercup finals are played at the "Bird's Nest" stadium in Beijing, which hosted the 2008 Olympics.
AUGUST 12. FA COMMUNITY SHIELD 2012. Same story for England: the winner of the Premier League (Manchester City) versus the winner of the FA Cup (Chelsea). This is usually played at Wembley, but as the old stadium is undergoing major renovations it will be at Villa Park in Birmingham instead. As these two teams were the most -- surprisingly! -- successful European teams of last season, this should be one for the books. Of course, if you follow my blog you know my loyalties are smack-dab in the middle of Kensington!
AUGUST 12. DFL-SUPERCUP 2012. Guess what? The German supercup, where Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal winners battle it out for German supremacy. Yeah that sounds weird. Last year, Borussia Dortmund won both the league and the league cup, so here they play Pokal runners-up Bayern Munchen. This will be interesting because last year Bayern achieved the worst possible record for a major football team: three-time runners-up, in the domestic league, the domestic league cup, and the Champions League. The second-place plague is a tough motherfucker to beat, so I will definitely be rooting for Heynckes' boys this time around (unlike in Munich last May... obviously!)
AUGUST 16. PALIO DI SIENA. The palio (= pall) is the historical horse race in downtown Siena, Italy, which is run in some way shape or form since 1656. Two are held each year, one on July 2 (this year's was disappointing) and one on August 16. The latter is much more important. The town of Siena is divided in contrade, neighborhoods, and each selects a horse and a rider to represent it in the palio. What's peculiar is that there are no rules surrounding the race. Since there is no money and no prizes at stake other than honor, you can do whatever you want, provided it is legal under Italian law. So it's not uncommon for contrade to bribe others to go slower or even not race, for horses' and riders' services being bought and sold for sexual favors, and even for less-than-sportsmanlike conduct during the race itself. Some of this, no doubt, is urban legend, but knowing the fervor with which Siena lives its palios, it's not at all unbelievable. The race itself, which is about two minutes long, is often highly spectacular and garnished with falls, pushing, shoving, and the whole she-bang of medieval awesomeness. You may have seen the palio featured in the latest Bond movie, Quantum of Solace, as 007 pursues a fellow spy across Piazza del Campo and in the streets and over the roofs of Siena.
AUGUST 19 & 26. SUPERCOPA DE ESPANA. The Spaniards' own supercup is often a matchup of Barcelona and Real Madrid, who consistently dominate the domestic football scene, and this year is no exception. This is the only super cup that is contested in the "old" format, over two legs, so that each team plays one match at home and one away. The winner is determined on aggregate score with the usual away goals rule. What better way to start the season off than with a Clásico? Oh yeah: with TWO Clásicos! And as a Chelsea fan, let me be the first to chant "fuck off Mourinho!"
AUGUST 31. UEFA EUROPEAN SUPER CUP. Finally, the supercup big daddy of them all: the winner of the UEFA Europa League versus the winner of the UEFA Champions League, the two most prestigious international continental club tournaments. This year it's a never-before-seen match-up between Chelsea and Atletico Madrid, two teams reborn from the ashes that have very high expectation for this season. How awesome is it that Di Matteo's men can start 2012 with two pieces of silverware in less than two weeks?! I really hope so. Also, this final is played at one of the world's most beautiful sports venues: the Stade Louis II in Monaco, near Montecarlo. Its gorgeous decorative nine arches, gentle ambiance, great lighting, and excellent seating placement make it a real pleasure to watch sports at.
Then, of course, all major European football leagues begin right after the Olympics:
- August 11 – French Ligue 1, 2012-13
- August 18 – Spanish La Liga, 2012-13
- August 18 – English Premier League, 2012-13
- August 23 – German Bundesliga, 2012-13
- August 25 – Italian Serie A, 2012-13
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