Carlo Ancelotti was furious with the La Liga League management over rest hours with Real Madrid having to approach FIFA for protection from “abuse” in the Spanish top flight with Madrid players showing exhaustion on the pitch after the clash.
Madrid’s round-of-16 second-leg Champions League clash with their city rivals, Atletico Madrid on Wednesday night extended into extra time and penalties, with the match concluding close to midnight. Despite the exhaustion in the must win demanding contest, their next La Liga fixture was scheduled for Saturday evening at 6:30 p.m. local time, giving them a 66-hour rest period.
FIFA guidelines advise that clubs should have a minimum of 72 hours of rest between matches to ensure players have adequate recovery time. However, domestic leagues are responsible for determining kick-off times, meaning clubs often have no control over their schedules. In this case, Ancelotti says Madrid had made multiple appeals to La Liga to adjust the Villarreal match to a later time on Sunday, but their requests were reportedly ignored.
Ancelotti was vocal in his frustration, attributing the scheduling decisions to financial interests and broadcast rights rather than player welfare.
“I think today is the last time that we’ll play a game before 72 hours,” he said. “We won’t do it again, without 72 hours of rest. We asked LaLiga to change the time of the game twice, and they didn’t do anything. But this is the last time. I don’t understand it. The minimum is 72 hours, money, television rights are prioritised, not the players’ recovery. Money is prioritised, not the players’ rest.”
Despite the physical toll on the squad, Madrid managed to secure a 2-0 victory over Villarreal, with Kylian Mbappe scoring both goals. The win temporarily extended their lead at the top of La Liga, moving them three points ahead of Barcelona, who have two games in hand.
Real Madrid’s official media channel has since revealed that the club has called for FIFA intervention and will not tolerate similar treatment in the future, taking aim at La Liga president Javier Tebas in the process.
