Super Cup: PSG vs Aston Villa, UEFA vs FIFA and the Somali ref barred from the World Cup

Barely three weeks after the World Cup final, the first trophy of the new European soccer season is up for grabs in the UEFA Super Cup between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa in Salzburg on Wednesday.

The annual match between the most recent winners of the Champions League and Europa League also offers another chance for more grandstanding by UEFA at the expense of FIFA at a time of a growing disconnect between the two powerful soccer governing bodies in light of the recent conduct of Gianni Infantino.

That's because refereeing the game will be Omar Artan, the Somali referee who was barred by the United States from officiating at the World Cup days before the start of the tournament because of vetting concerns. U.S. officials claimed Artan had connections to terror organizations, though without providing proof.

UEFA responded by picking Artan — a referee judged the best in Africa last season — to take charge of the Super Cup, a move that was widely celebrated in the soccer community and also was regarded as a clever political ploy by the European association.

The disharmony between UEFA and FIFA has increased since, with UEFA leading the campaign to oust Infantino from the FIFA presidency over his recent — aborted — plan to sell an interest in the World Cup.

And so, the referee taking charge of the match is proving to be as interesting as the players involved, as PSG looks to become the second team in the modern era to retain the Super Cup, after Real Madrid (2016 and 2017).

PSG beat Tottenham in a penalty shootout in last year's match.

PSG's World Cup stars return

PSG’s players came back to preseason training in scattered order over the summer, largely depending on how long they played at the World Cup — or not at all in one noteworthy case.

Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele, who stood out for France with six goals and two assists, returned on Monday along with international teammates Desire Doue and Bradley Barcola. They were joined by Spain’s World Cup-winning midfielder Fabian Ruiz, whose clinical performance was key to the semifinal victory against France.

Star winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia didn't play at the tournament because Georgia did not qualify, and has been back training for considerably longer. He looks certain to start in his favored position on the left flank, with new signing Maghnes Akliouche possibly on the right wing.

Akliouche’s arrival from Monaco could coincide with Barcola’s departure, with the fleet-footed winger — who scored three goals at the World Cup — heavily linked with a move to Premier League giant Liverpool.

Coach Luis Enrique’s team may also feature former Villa player Lucas Digne.

Back to the future

Villa sold Digne to PSG on Sunday for a reported free of 10 million euros ($11.6 million), returning the 33-year-old left back to one of his first clubs.

Digne was among the first signings when PSG began its new era after being bought by Qatari investors QSI.

He was born in the Paris suburbs and joined PSG in 2013 from Lille. He then represented Roma and Barcelona before spending eight years in the Premier League with Everton and Villa, where he played 182 games in total and was one of coach Unai Emery’s most consistent players.

Emery has lost key Villa midfielders

There'll be a different look to Villa at the start of its fourth full season under Emery, a former PSG coach.

Departing over the summer were key midfielders Morgan Rogers to Chelsea and Youri Tielemans to Manchester United, along with Digne.

Among the new signings are Swiss World Cup star Johan Manzambi and Brazilian midfielder Joao Gomes, who has joined from relegated Wolverhampton. Manzambi is missing because of a knee injury.

Villa won the Europa League by beating Freiburg 3-0 and in the final will be in the Champions League for the second time under Emery.

Artan's ‘very challenging’ time

Artan, who oversaw the African Champions League final in 2025, is the first non-European to take charge of the Super Cup and said the honor comes after a “very tough period”.

“A lot of people have sympathy for me,” he told UEFA, “because when someone has been working a lot of years and is supposed to do something, and then can’t do it, it’s very challenging. I really appreciate the support I received throughout the world, though. I’m so grateful.”

Artan said he had been undertaking lots of research on PSG and Villa for his first match in Europe.

“The standard in Europe is fantastic and the football they play is very, very good,” he said.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer