La Liga Chief Fires Back at Real Madrid's Bold Schedule Demand

Javier Tebas, the president of La Liga, has firmly turned down Real Madrid's appeal to delay their season opener for the 2025–26 campaign, leaving the club's squad frustrated.

The Spanish giants had reportedly sought a schedule modification due to insufficient recovery time following this summer's Club World Cup. Tebas has openly expressed his contempt for the expanded tournament format, vowing to "take every measure to ensure the Club World Cup is never held again". The vocal administrator refuses to allow this "absolute disaster" to affect the league under his supervision.

"I think they [Real Madrid] will get 20 days of rest rather than 21, and no other competitions like England's Premier League for Chelsea or France's Ligue 1 for PSG are modifying their fixtures," Tebas informed AP News recently, confirming that Madrid's season kickoff against Osasuna will proceed as scheduled on Aug. 19, followed by their encounter with Real Oviedo five days afterward.

"Therefore, I don't think we should alter the schedule for such a reason, particularly considering it's only a matter of one day."

Xabi Alonso's team reached the Club World Cup semifinals before suffering a crushing 4–0 defeat to PSG on July 9. Spanish-based players are guaranteed three straight weeks of vacation between campaigns, giving Madrid merely 18 days before welcoming Osasuna.

Madrid's keeper Thibaut Courtois has criticized Tebas's rigid position regarding this summer's competition. "It's consistently the same with La Liga," he expressed disappointment. "Hearing such remarks from a president is unprecedented - I haven't witnessed this in Italy, England, or even the NBA and NFL.

"It's acceptable if Tebas dislikes the Club World Cup, but it's a reality. It's included in FIFA's official calendar. We're here participating, yet this individual seems to crave attention. I've never observed another competition's president speak in such a manner. Player welfare is at stake."