Real Madrid are livid. Just after their Champions League clash against Atlético Madrid, Florentino Pérez’s club is fuming at LaLiga and Javier Tebas over a new decision that goes against Carlo Ancelotti’s team.
Currently second in the Spanish top flight with 57 points, Real Madrid face a crucial title race showdown against Villarreal this Saturday. The club has not won away at the Yellow Submarine in seven years—their last victory at Villarreal’s stadium dates back to 2017, followed by six draws and one defeat. The Madrid side will have to be at their best to secure three vital points. However, ahead of this fixture, Florentino Pérez, Carlo Ancelotti, and all Madridistas are outraged with LaLiga.
Ancelotti’s anger over the fixture schedule
While Barcelona and Atlético Madrid will battle it out on Sunday in a crucial title race clash, Real Madrid are being forced to play their Matchday 28 fixture a day earlier. Speaking to the press on Friday, Carlo Ancelotti expressed his frustration, deeming it unacceptable to play just 67 hours after the grueling Madrid derby, which lasted 210 minutes.
“Since January, we haven’t stopped playing every three days. We’re in mid-March now, and it’s too much—even for me, and I don’t even play. There’s no time to recover from the intensity of the matches, but there’s nothing I can do. The only way to stop this is to take a break, but I don’t want to stop because I love what I do. The priority is given to the least important aspect—TV rights, money… And what comes last is player recovery and injury prevention,” Ancelotti criticised.
Fixture scheduling controversy
In Madrid, many struggle to understand why Barcelona, who played on Tuesday, get five days of rest, Atlético four, and Real Madrid less than three. Within the club, there’s a growing sense that everything is being done to prevent them from winning the league. With exhausted players, losing matches becomes much easier. To ensure fair recovery time, especially with the international break coming up, Real Madrid could have played their Villarreal fixture on Sunday or even Monday.
Unfortunately, Javier Tebas and his team continue to impose harsh treatment on Los Blancos. Now, the players and coaching staff must dig deep to get a result against Villarreal before the FIFA break. Speaking of the break, nearly all of Ancelotti’s players will be on international duty, except for Ferland Mendy, Jesús Vallejo, and Fran García. On Friday, Endrick, initially left out of the Brazil squad, was called up following Neymar’s injury. The 18-year-old forward will also travel.
The reality is harsh—footballers are being pushed to their limits by relentless scheduling. Like in other leagues, LaLiga should adjust its calendar based on circumstances, allowing teams competing on multiple fronts to get adequate rest.
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