LaLiga boss rejects Madrid plea to extend break

LaLiga president Javier Tebas rejected Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois' plea to postpone the team's 2025-26 league opener to springiness players clip to remainder pursuing the Club World Cup.

Real Madrid were dumped out of the tourney pursuing a 4-0 semifinal defeat to Paris Saint-Germain connected Wednesday, meaning they volition person a 41-day interruption earlier their La Liga opener against Osasuna connected Aug. 19.

Tebas said the determination not to determination the opener was made by the Spanish Football Federation and LaLiga agreed with it. He said players were to person 21 days disconnected and 21 days of preseason training.

"I judge that they volition person 20 days to remainder alternatively of 21 and nary different leagues similar the Premier League for Chelsea oregon the French Ligue 1 for PSG are changing the games," helium told the Associated Press "So I don't judge that we should alteration the calendar for that reason, particularly reasoning that it's a substance of 1 day."

Madrid played 68 competitory matches successful a play that started past August that includes 38 successful the LaLiga, 14 successful the Champions League, six each successful the Copa del Rey and the Club World Cup, 2 successful the Spanish Super Cup and 1 apiece successful the European Super Cup and Intercontinental Cup.

Meanwhile, PSG volition play their 65th crippled successful Sunday's Club World Cup last (it volition beryllium Chelsea's 64th). PSG unfastened their play from Aug. 15-17 astatine Nantes, portion Chelsea statesman against Crystal Palace connected Aug. 17.

"It's ever the aforesaid for La Liga," Courtois said Wednesday.

"To perceive those comments from a president it's thing that I haven't seen it successful Italy, oregon successful England, nor the NBA and NFL.

"It's good if Tebas doesn't similar the Club World Cup, but it exists. It's portion of the FIFA calendar. We're present competing, and it seems this man conscionable wants to beryllium the focus. I've ne'er seen a president of different contention talk similar that. The players' heath is connected the line."