After more than three hours stranded at Barajas airport because of heavy snowfall on Friday, Real Madrid were finally able to fly to Pamplona for their LaLiga clash with Osasuna.
Real Madrid were finally able to travel to Pamplona on Friday ahead of Saturday’s LaLiga match against Osasuna, after heavy snowfall delayed their departure from the Spanish capital by over three hours.
"We're stuck in here like hamsters"
After boarding a flight to Navarre, Zinedine Zidane’s side found themselves stranded at Barajas amid a huge snowstorm that has caused travel disruption across Spain. "We're stuck in here like hamsters,” complained one member of the travelling party as Los Blancos waited to depart.
The team's plane took off at around 22:30 CET, before landing in Pamplona at just before 23:15
Real Madrid unhappy with LaLiga handling of weather chaos
Madrid players and staff have been left far from amused over the whole affair, with question marks surrounding the viability of staging the match in El Sadar being raised earlier this week by meteorologists. Navarre is expected to bear the brunt of Storm Filomena and it is anticipated several games across the country will be called off this weekend.
The club blame Spanish league administrators for the chaos, saying they should have moved quickly to postpone this round of LaLiga fixtures rather than forcing teams to travel.
Madrid are now eager for the kick-off time of Saturday’s matchday-18 fixture to be brought forward from 21:00 to midday CET, when the snowfall in Pamplona is expected to be at its lightest. This, they argue, would avoid the potential for a last-minute postponement.
"It's absolutely crazy"
There is also concern over how tired the eventful journey will leave the players, given their late arrival in Pamplona some four hours behind schedule. "It’s all absolutely crazy - it’s inexplicable. Total chaos," AS was told by one club source on board the plane.