While the titles race intensifies in Europe, Real Madrid once again denounces a disadvantageous calendar. The Liga programmed its trip to Alavés on Sunday April 13 at 4:15 p.m., leaving it less than 75 hours of recovery before the reception of Arsenal in the Champions League.
A tight timing … and disputed
Liga's decision makes you cringe in Valdebebas. Real Madrid will therefore face only three days before the return match of the C1 quarter -finals against the Gunners (April 16, 9:00 p.m.). Insufficient delay according to UEFA standards, which recommends at least 72 hours between two matches. Worse: the Madrid will be the only ones among the eight-finalhist quarters to play in the league on Sunday. Arsenal, Barça, Bayern or Dortmund all have matches scheduled for Saturday, benefiting from an additional day of recovery.
La Liga vs real: a hidden war
This calendar headache recalls the tensions between the Merengue club and the Liga. President Javier Tebas, often criticized by Florentino Pérez, justifies this choice by television imperatives. However, PSG saw its match against Nantes postponed to April 22 to preserve its players before Aston Villa. An inconsistency that feeds Madrid anger, especially since Real will chain five games in 15 days in April, including a clásico and a duel against Manchester City in C1.
Did La Liga program the fall of Real?
Ancelotti, back to the wall
Carlo Ancelotti will have to manage his workforce with pragmatism. Some executives, such as Federico Valverde and Kylian Mbappé, the two most used elements this season, could be preserved against Alavés (89 matches in their own). A sporting risk while Real struggles for the title in Liga. The technical staff stresses that each point counts, but that priority remains the Champions League, queen competition for the club.
The weight of figures
Real Madrid will have less than 75 hours of rest between the final whistle in Alavés and the kick -off against Arsenal. For comparison, the Gunners will have 24 hours of additional recovery thanks to a scheduled match on Saturday. This imbalance is added to an exhausting April, with confrontations against Bilbao and a potential half of C1.
This controversy relaunches the debate on calendar management in Europe. Real, accustomed to juggle between competitions, could grasp the UEFA to denounce a competitive imbalance. In the meantime, Ancelotti will have to improvise … and pray to avoid injuries.
