The UEFA Super Cup match between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Aston Villa, set to take place this Wednesday in Salzburg, Austria, will feature the refereeing of Somali official Omar Artan. Artan, who was deported from the United States after being falsely accused of having ties with terrorist organizations, has been selected for this match as part of a memorandum of understanding between UEFA and the Confederation Africana de Fútbol (CAF). This will be his first encounter in Europe following his reception as a hero in Somalia.
The game will feature the participation of Argentine players such as Alejandro Garnacho and Emiliano Buendía, who could start for Aston Villa. Dibu Martínez, the goalkeeper, will not play due to rest after participating in the World Cup.
PSG coach Luis Enrique acknowledged the difficulty in preparing his team for this match, given that they only had two days of training after the World Cup and several players became available on Monday.
Aston Villa has lost three key players in the last transfer window: Morgan Rogers to Chelsea, Youri Tielemans to Manchester United, and Lucas Digné to PSG. The team will welcome new signings like Johan Mazambi and Joao Gomes, while Garnacho arrives from a loan at Chelsea.
The match promises to be an exciting encounter between two teams with strong Argentine connections, which is sure to generate great interest among football fans. UEFA hopes this game marks a significant step in integrating African referees into European tournaments and serves as an example of cooperation between confederations.
