DFL Supercup should be played in US, says Bundesliga champs

Fernando Carro, the CEO of reigning Bundesliga champion Bayer Leverkusen, has surfaced the possibility of playing the DFL Supercup abroad. In the 2023/24 season, Leverkusen won a domestic double with the league and DFB Pokal. Then, to kick off the current season, Leverkusen won the German Supercup. That game was in Leverkusen, as the team that won the Bundesliga traditionally plays away. Yet, Leverkusen won both competitions, meaning it was the host. Yet, Carro wants to make both teams effectively away teams for the DFL-Supercup.

Speaking to ESPN during a trophy tour in the United States, Carro discussed potential changes he would like to see in German soccer. He alluded to other leagues that have changed their formatting and scheduling. LaLiga and Serie A, for example, have moved their Supercup competitions to Saudi Arabia. Carro sees a world where the DFL moves its Supercup to the USA.

“For me personally, and I can’t speak for anyone else, it would be possible to have the Supercup in the USA or another country,” Carro said. “Many fans don’t like it anyway with it being the same weekend as the first Pokal round, so we could do it differently. We have to have new ways of thinking, and this can be one example.”

Compared to other leagues, the Bundesliga is notably traditional. While other countries and competitions have added more games, the Bundesliga remains stout in ensuring it sticks to its time-proven tactics. For example, the Bundesliga adheres to a winter break that can last one month. Yet, no league would shy away from more money, particularly with the disparity in finances growing among Europe’s top leagues.

New partnership with Relevent could help push DFL Supercup to USA

The Bundesliga recently signed a deal with American media agency Relevent to grow its popularity in North, Central, and South America. The crux of this deal revolves around media rights. In the 2024/25 season, the Bundesliga is entering the penultimate year of its broadcasting deal with ESPN. Therefore, the league must begin the process of brokering a new rights deal.

However, Relevent will also expand the DFL’s marketing and sales in the region. The sports and entertainment group could work to bring the DFL Supercup to the United States. Relevent is one of the leading forces behind the further push to host a competitive LaLiga game in the United States. If Carro’s sentiment about the DFL Supercup is shared among other executives and fans, it would make sense to move that game to the USA. It is a one-off game that does not have overt significance to the top teams in Germany, at least compared to Bundesliga or DFB Pokal games.

The only issue goes back to the fans. Initial reaction to Carro’s comments about moving the DFL Supercup to the USA has been negative. Again, there is no concrete plan to make this happen, and Carro admitted that he cannot speak for anyone else in Germany. Yet, seeing so many supporters outwardly voice their opposition to this idea speaks volumes about how well-received any actual motion would look.

Carro has not been shy to embrace change in the Bundesliga. His club has reaped the rewards, and the Bundesliga may be willing to embrace some of Carro’s ideology.

PHOTOS: IMAGO.