The Spanish Super Cup matches the previous season's La Liga champions against the Copa del Rey holders, serving as the official curtain-raiser for the new season.
If one team claims both titles, the Copa del Rey runner-up fills the remaining spot.
Last season, Valencia won La Liga.
Real Madrid lifted the Copa del Rey.
That set up a high-stakes clash between two giants.
Other countries host similar competitions—the Italian Super Cup, French Super Cup, German Super Cup, and England's Community Shield. While the rules differ slightly, the concept remains the same: champions battling champions.
The UEFA Super Cup, contested between the Champions League and Europa League winners, is the most prestigious of them all.
The Super Cup may not be the most coveted trophy, but it's still a championship.
And in the future, many treble, quintuple, or sextuple-winning teams will count it among their honors.
Even though Valencia had just won La Liga and reached the Champions League final twice in a row, most fans still believed Real Madrid would come out on top.
Such was the influence of the Galácticos.
With such a strong opponent and silverware on the line, Camacho wasn't about to take risks.
Before the match, he announced what he considered Real Madrid's strongest lineup:
Ronaldo, Owen
Zidane, Raúl, Figo
Beckham
Roberto Carlos, Samuel, Woodgate, Salgado
Casillas
Apart from Woodgate—whose place over Helguera was debatable—the lineup looked flawless on paper.
To fit Owen into the squad, Camacho adjusted Real Madrid's typical single-striker formation, removing a defensive midfield role—Guti's position.
A key question heading into the match was whether Beckham, as the lone defensive midfielder, could handle the burden of protecting the back line.
Just how star-studded was this lineup?
Ronaldo, Owen, Zidane, and Figo—four Ballon d'Or winners.
Raúl, Beckham, and Roberto Carlos had all finished second—nearly Ballon d'Or winners in their own right.
With that kind of firepower, nobody paid much attention to Valencia's lineup.
But soon, attention shifted—not to the starters, but to the bench.
And it wasn't because of big-name subs like Morientes, Guti, Helguera, or Solari.
It was Su Hang.
Marca headline: "Is this a mistake, or did Real Madrid really name Su Hang as a captain?"
The news spread like wildfire across Spain.
Most major leagues require clubs to register four captains—one main and three deputies.
Given the frequent squad rotations in modern football, if the main captain isn't on the pitch, the armband passes to the next in line.
Real Madrid's captain hierarchy was well-known:
First captain: Raúl
Second: Guti
Third: Salgado
According to club protocol, the fourth captain should've been Casillas, based on his seniority in the first team.
But this season's official list named Su Hang instead.
Everyone was stunned.
Why Su Hang?
He was the last player promoted to the first team last season.
He had the fewest appearances.
In terms of seniority, ability, and influence, there was no way he ranked that high.
Clearly, something—or someone—had influenced the decision.
And that someone was undoubtedly Florentino.
If people once jokingly called Su Hang the "Crown Prince of Real Madrid," it was now official.
Su Hang was the Crown Prince—recognized by the club itself.
Looking back, Real Madrid's rejection of Manchester United's loan request made a lot more sense.
They had already decided Su Hang's place within the squad.
Casillas, who many expected to be the fourth captain, expressed disappointment.
But he didn't make a fuss.
After all, he wasn't stripped of any title—he had simply missed out on a promotion.
His pride may have taken a hit, but it wasn't a serious blow.
Before the match, reporters interviewed Su Hang.
"Su Hang, congratulations on becoming the youngest fourth captain in Real Madrid's history."
Su Hang replied modestly, "Thank you for the support. I know I'm not worthy of the fourth captaincy. Casillas is more qualified than I am."
The reporter chuckled.
Su Hang was still young.
He brought up Casillas himself!
Such a comment risked stirring up tensions inside the club.
"So what are you going to do?" the reporter continued. "Will you give up the role and hand it over to Casillas? Or are you going to hold on to it?"
Su Hang simply shook his head.
The other reporters lit up, eagerly rushing to draft their headlines...