Chelsea win their first UEFA Super Cup in 23 years

Chelsea have won the UEFA Super Cup, their first in 23 years and a second in club history. In the 2021 UEFA Super Cup final at Belfast’s Windsor Park ground, the UCL champions from last season fought Villarreal FC, the UEFA Europa League champions from last season, to be tied at 1-1 and eventually beat the Spanish club 6-5 on penalties.

Chelsea, who won the 2020-21 UEFA Champions League in May against the Manchester City of England, the first in nine years, have lifted the Super Cup trophy for the second time following their first feat in 1989. Chelsea won the second place for the Super Cup in 2012, 2013, and 2019. The prize is five million euros (6.8 billion won).

Villarreal, who won an undefeated champion title in the Europa League last season, made their debut in the Super Cup this season and won the second place with a prize worth three million euros (about 4.1 billion won).

Chelsea went ahead by 1-0 through Hakim Ziyech’s opener in the 27th minute of the first half. But Villarreal’s Gerard Moreno equalized the game in the 28th minute of the latter half. With neigh succeeding in finding an extra goal during the extra time, substitute goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga made two shootout saves to put an end to the long-drawn final.


Dong-Wook Kim creating@donga.com