Madrid’s Request to Postpone Fixture Rejected

The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has turned down Real Madrid’s petition to delay their August 19 match. The club is slated to commence their LaLiga season with a home game against Osasuna as originally planned, according to various international news outlets on Thursday.

Madrid cited the need for extended rest after their participation in the Club World Cup, where they were defeated in the semi-finals by Paris Saint-Germain, as the reason for their request.

Madrid asserted that the scheduled date infringed upon regulations, leaving them with insufficient time for adequate rest and preparation.

The club stated, “A breach of the minimum period of rest and preparation has occurred.”

Media reports indicate that the RFEF judge justified the decision by emphasizing the importance of upholding the competition’s integrity, deeming Madrid’s request insufficient to warrant a change.

The presiding judge clarified that while the requesting club claimed to have an agreement, no official record of such agreement exists.

The judge further noted, “Although the requesting club claims to have the agreement of the opposing party, CA Osasuna, there is no evidence of this entity having formally responded to the judge’s inquiry.”

Notably, Madrid’s rest period began on July 11, granting them 21 uninterrupted days of rest, as outlined in the collective agreement.

The Spanish football federation’s regulations do not stipulate a mandatory 21-day period for physical and tactical preparation, contrary to the suggestion made by Madrid and the players’ union AFE.

Real Madrid has a 48-hour window to appeal this decision.