Spanish footballing body denies existence of verbal agreement to give the club an extended break
Real Madrid have seen efforts to delay their opening league fixture against Osasuna dismissed by La Liga, causing tensions between the club, the players’ union, and Spanish football’s governing bodies just weeks ahead of the new season.
Real Madrid submitted a formal request on Monday via director Emilio Butragueno, asking the league to delay the fixture so that their players can have sufficient rest and preparation time following their extended participation in the Club World Cup.
La Liga have now said there is no justification for postponing the match scheduled for 19 August. The league also deny the existence of any agreement that would allow Madrid or Atletico Madrid to delay their opening fixtures if they reached the final stages of the Club World Cup.
La Liga maintains that the conditions do not meet the threshold for “force majeure”, according to Cadena SER. A force majeure would be an event beyond Madrid’s control that would prevent them from playing against Osasuna on 19 August.
The league also argue that while it has previously reviewed a proposed calendar adjustment, no binding commitment was ever made.
That stance has drawn criticism from multiple fronts. The AFE players’ union, which had been involved in discussions with La Liga, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), and representatives from both clubs, had proposed that clubs participating in the Club World Cup should receive three weeks of vacation, followed by three weeks of preseason training. This would total six full weeks of rest and preparation.
AFE believed an informal understanding had been reached in May during a joint call with La Liga officials, following the submission of a written schedule proposal on 16 May. Captains Dani Carvajal for Real Madrid and Koke for Atletico had also been part of those conversations.
La Liga’s response appears to contradict that version of events. In its letter to Madrid, the league said that its president Javier Tebas never publicly confirmed such an arrangement, and thus it cannot be held to any verbal or informal understanding.
Despite La Liga’s rejection, the matter is not yet settled. The final decision now lies with the RFEF’s Competition Committee, which can rule on fixture changes.
