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Real Madrid, Barcelona Face off in Spanish Super Cup Final in Riyadh on Sunday

Football - Spanish Super Cup - Real Madrid Training - Al Nassr FC Facilities, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - January 12, 2024 Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham with teammates during training. (Reuters)
Football - Spanish Super Cup - Real Madrid Training - Al Nassr FC Facilities, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - January 12, 2024 Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham with teammates during training. (Reuters)
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Real Madrid, Barcelona Face off in Spanish Super Cup Final in Riyadh on Sunday

Football - Spanish Super Cup - Real Madrid Training - Al Nassr FC Facilities, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - January 12, 2024 Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham with teammates during training. (Reuters)
Football - Spanish Super Cup - Real Madrid Training - Al Nassr FC Facilities, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - January 12, 2024 Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham with teammates during training. (Reuters)

Real Madrid and Barcelona are poised to compete in the “El Clasico” final of the Spanish Super Cup at the King Saud University Stadium in Riyadh on Sunday.

Carlo Ancelotti’s squad clinched a thrilling 5-3 victory against capital rivals Atlético Madrid in Riyadh on Wednesday, while the Catalan super team secured a 2-0 win over Osasuna.

Perennial rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona faced off in the Spanish Super Club final at the King Fahd Sport City Stadium in Riyadh in 2023. Barcelona emerged victorious with a 3-1 win.

Saudi Arabia has previously hosted two editions of the Spanish Super Cup, the first in Jeddah in 2020 and the second in Riyadh in 2022, with Real Madrid claiming both titles.

The hosting of the Spanish Super Cup in the Kingdom, organized by the Ministry of Sports, aligns with the Quality of Life Program, one of the Saudi Vision 2030 Realization Programs.

The initiative aims to bolster the Kingdom's standing as a premier destination for global mega events and enhancing the overall quality of life for its residents and visitors alike.

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Guardiola Signs 2-year Contract Extension at Man City, Eyes 'More Trophies'

(FILES) Manchester City's Spanish manager Pep Guardiola gestures on the touchline during the UEFA Champions League, league phase football match between Manchester City and Inter Milan at the Etihad stadium, in Manchester, north-west England, on September 18, 2024. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP)
(FILES) Manchester City's Spanish manager Pep Guardiola gestures on the touchline during the UEFA Champions League, league phase football match between Manchester City and Inter Milan at the Etihad stadium, in Manchester, north-west England, on September 18, 2024. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP)
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Guardiola Signs 2-year Contract Extension at Man City, Eyes 'More Trophies'

(FILES) Manchester City's Spanish manager Pep Guardiola gestures on the touchline during the UEFA Champions League, league phase football match between Manchester City and Inter Milan at the Etihad stadium, in Manchester, north-west England, on September 18, 2024. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP)
(FILES) Manchester City's Spanish manager Pep Guardiola gestures on the touchline during the UEFA Champions League, league phase football match between Manchester City and Inter Milan at the Etihad stadium, in Manchester, north-west England, on September 18, 2024. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP)

Pep Guardiola committed himself to Manchester City for another two years on Thursday and quickly set his sights on adding to his record-breaking reign.
Guardiola ended uncertainty about his future by signing a contract extension that would prolong his tenure as City manager to 11 seasons.
“I have said this many times before, but I have everything a manager could ever wish for," said the 53-year-old Catalan coach, whose current deal was due to expire at the end of this season. "Hopefully now we can add more trophies to the ones we have already won. That will be my focus.”
Guardiola has overseen a period of unprecedented dominance since joining City in 2016. He has gone on to win six Premier League titles in seven years at the Etihad Stadium and also won the Champions League. In total, he has won 15 major trophies at the club.
He has set new benchmarks, with City becoming the first team to win four-straight English league titles and the first to amass 100 points in a single season in 2018. He also led City to the treble in 2023, winning the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup in one season — matching Manchester United's achievement in 1999.
“Manchester City means so much to me. This is my ninth season here. We have experienced so many amazing times together. I have a really special feeling for this football club,” Guardiola added in his statement. “That is why I am so happy to be staying for another two more seasons.”
Publicly, Guardiola gave no indication about whether he would stay on even as he entered the final months of his contract, The Associated Press reported. That led to speculation about potential successors, but City remained hopeful he could be convinced to sign another extension.
He has already managed City for longer than any his former clubs, having spent four years at Barcelona and three at Bayern Munich.
City Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak said he was “delighted” that Guardiola is staying.
“His hunger for improvement and success remains insatiable and the direct beneficiaries of that will continue to be our players and coaching staff, the culture of our club, and the English game at large,” he said.
“This renewal will take Pep beyond a decade of coaching Manchester City and the opportunity to continue to re-write the managerial record books.”
Guardiola's new deal comes at a time when City's Premier League dominance appears to be under threat. The four-time defending champion has lost four games in succession in all competitions — the worst losing streak of Guardiola's managerial career.
Guardiola is widely considered one of the greatest managers of all time, having been a serial winner at Barcelona, Bayern and City. He has won 33 major titles with those clubs, including three Champions League trophies.