Real Madrid furious over La Liga decision to schedule Valencia clash on a Saturday

Real Madrid are unhappy with La Liga’s decision to schedule their meeting with Valencia for Saturday, November 7, which will limit their preparation time following their Champions League trip to Greece.

According to COPE, Madrid players and coaching staff are frustrated following confirmation that the match at the Mestalla Stadium will kick off at 9.00 pn.

Madrid are set to take on AEK Athens in Greece in the Champions League on the previous Wednesday night.

The team will return to Madrid in the early hours of Thursday morning, so Friday could be their only full day to prepare for the trip to Valencia.

Madrid are frustrated because there was no reason to schedule the Valencia game for Saturday, particularly with the international break following the weekend’s fixtures.

The club believes that moving the match to Sunday would have given the players more time to recover from their European commitments and prepare for another away fixture.

No European or domestic competitions are scheduled for the following week, so nothing prevents La Liga from moving the game to Sunday.

The decision caught Madrid by surprise, raising questions about why they have been given such a short turnaround when the league calendar offers room for change.

Travelling to Athens before visiting Valencia is bound to take its toll on the players and the staff.

The 12th round of La Liga fixtures will begin on Friday, November 6, with Sevilla hosting Alaves at 9.00 pm.

Madrid’s trip to Valencia will take place on Saturday night, while the round will conclude on Sunday, November 8, when Atletico Madrid face Barcelona at 9.00 pm.