TO Anton WhitcombDutch journalist for his country’s newspaper De Telegraaf, he came up with the idea of ​​proposing a party to try to clear up a question that was swirling in his head. “Which team was the best? The one who had won the European Cup? In principle yes, it should be, but football is very relative and for that reason it becomes a very imprecise art. So why not face the winner of the European Cup and the European Cup Winners’ Cup?”

In 1972 Witkamp, ​​with the support of Ajax’s 1971–72 European Cup champion president Jaap van Praag, traveled to Zurich to seek UEFA’s support. The champions of the Cup Winners’ Cup – a tournament that brought together all the national Cup champions and who were still on the ladder of European football at the time – were Rangers from Scotland, who were suspended by Europe’s highest body for incidents at the end of which they were consecrated .

UEFA gave the green light, but did not make the match official which served as a precursor to the Super Cup. Ajax prevailed 6-3 on aggregate in a series of back-and-forth games to optimize everyone’s chances.

🗓 | Prices Vandaag 4️⃣4️⃣ jaar geleden won #Ajax zijn eerste Europese Supercup door Glasgow Rangers you verslaan. 🏆 pic.twitter.com/DK1nceJKIC

— AFC Ajax (@AFCAjax) January 24, 2017

For the 1973 edition, UEFA took over the organization of the trophy they had its first series in January 1974. It is worth clarifying that the Super Cup faced the European Champion with the Cup Winners’ Cup until 1999, and since 2000 it has already taken its current form: the winner of the Champions League against the champion of the Europa League (the old UEFA Cup).

How many teams have won the European Super Cup and who holds the title record?

In total 24 teams held the trophy, Being the Real Madrid, Milan and Barcelona those who raised it the most times with a set 5 consecrations each.

All European Super Cup winners*

^{* From 1973 to 1999 it matched the Champions League champion with the European Cup Winners’ Cup. From 2000 to the present to the winner of the Champions League with the Europa League}