The trophy

In line with the increased prestige of the competition, the latest UEFA Super Cup trophy – lifted for the first time by Sevilla FC's Javi Navarro in August 2006 – is bigger and better than ever.

The old UEFA Super Cup, raised in celebration by footballing giants such as Alessandro Nesta, Fernando Hierro and Paolo Maldini, was the smallest and lightest of the European club trophies, weighing just 5kg and measuring a modest 42.5cm in height. With the UEFA Champions League silverware weighing in at 8kg and the UEFA Cup at 15kg, the UEFA Super Cup never quite lived up to its name.

That has all changed though, and with the current model standing at 58cm, the UEFA Super Cup tips the scales at a strapping 12.2kg. And even if the prize has put on weight, there will be no shortage of players eager to carry it off at the final whistle.

The trophy has retained the basic design of its predecessor, which was conceived and crafted at the Bertoni workshop in Milan. The classic bowl is held aloft on a base that is subtly twisted like a skein of wool as two arms allow the winners enough room to take a firm grip as they do their lap of honour.

The champions are entitled to have a replica made, provided it does not exceed four-fifths of the dimensions of the original – still, that makes it much bigger than those possessed by previous winners.