La Liga to reject Real Madrid delay request for season start

Real Madrid have their minds on the Club World Cup currently, as they prepare to face Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-final in New Jersey. Los Blancos will finish up for the season after this week, but will have little time for respite.

The Club World Cup final takes place on the 13th of July, and La Liga swings back into action on the 15th of August, just over a month later. Real Madrid have been given a later scheduled game on the opening weekend against Osasuna, which would take place on Tuesday the 19th of August at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Real Madrid and the Spanish Footballers Association (AFE) are not content with the tight turnaround though, and have requested to postpone the match, with a potential date in October mooted. Regulations state that players must have three weeks of uninterrupted holidays, and were that to occur, Los Blancos would return to training on the third of August, should they make the final. That would allow Xabi Alonso just 16 days of preseason before their first Liga game.

However La Liga see little reason to do so though. Diario AS say that La Liga have rejected their request. In addition, should the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) grant Los Blancos a postponement, La Liga will be the ones to choose the next date. A Competition Judge will be in charge of the final decision.

Osasuna are in agreement with the proposal, while the AFE and the clubs had reached a pact to delay the entire first weekend until the following week, should either Atletico Madrid or Real Madrid get to the final four of the Club World Cup.

La Liga President Javier Tebas has voiced his opposition to the Club World Cup on several occasions, making the point that domestic competitions should not be forced to alter their calendar for the new FIFA competition. This is the latest clash between Los Blancos and Tebas, who have been at odds for some years.