Just three weeks after the World Cup final, the new European football season gets its first taste of silverware Wednesday when Paris Saint-Germain meet Aston Villa in the UEFA Super Cup in Salzburg.
The annual meeting between the reigning Champions League and Europa League winners comes amid growing tensions between UEFA and FIFA, with relations between the two governing bodies increasingly strained by the recent conduct of FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
The match will also put the spotlight on the officiating, with Somali referee Omar Artan appointed to take charge. Artan was barred by the United States from officiating at the World Cup days before the tournament began because of vetting concerns.
U.S. officials alleged that Artan had links to terrorist organizations but did not publicly provide evidence to support the claims.
UEFA responded by appointing Artan, who was judged the best referee in Africa last season, to take charge of the Super Cup, a move that was widely celebrated in the football community and regarded by some as a clever political ploy by the European governing body.
