Thibaut Courtois did not remain silent. After a drainage season when Real Madrid played 65 games and finished it with a defeat in the World Cup semi-finals against PSG, the goalkeeper directly targeted La Liga’s decision to keep the debut of the team of the team locked up for August 19. The club had asked for a delay in the opening match against Osasuna. The answer was no. Courteous did not let him slide.
“I hope the liga will always change the game, even if it means pushing it to the following week. The rest and preparation are important for good competition and for the health of players. He might not want the club World Cup, but it exists. We are here, and it should respect our rest and our preparation. This man wants a lot of attention … I have never seen a president of an organization speak like that. “
Remains ignored, ignored support
Real Madrid closed its year at the Club World Cup and asked for a few additional days before launching the next one. Osasuna supported the request. The Spanish football federation too. Even the players’ union intervened, warning that the league decision has ignored the health of athletes and could affect the quality of the coming season.
The liga has not moved. Managers highlighted the rules book, which does not require a recovery window defined between competitions. They also noted that the Real opener was scheduled three days after the first games of the Round, which started on August 16. For Courtois, it is not enough and it is not only the calendar.
“You cannot expect us to finish the Liga and call it a vacation, because we have played the club World Cup, something that is part of the FIFA calendar. No one has a problem to play a lot of games. The problem is rest. And having only three weeks of rest to prepare a 12 -month season … This is the problem. We are the only sport in the world with 11 to 12 months of competition.”
Courtois also did not hold back with regard to the president of Liga, Javier Tebas, who clearly indicated that he did not support the format of the club World Cup. For the goalkeeper, this opinion has gone through decision -making. He suggested that the refusal to reprogram was more a question of personal or political bias than all that is technical.
Football requires a break, the league is walking on gas
At the heart of this is the calendar. Courtois does not complain about playing too many games. He asks for more breathing between them and this counts. Players know the requirements of modern football: constant games, travel, media, consecutive tournaments. They also know that there is only so far that the body can pass without recovery.
Last season pushed Real Madrid at its limit. Sixty-five games, with barely time to train or recover between trips. When the season finally ended, the wait was at least a six -week break before starting again. Instead, they had 41 days. This includes leave, doctors, a return to training and a pre-season. In reality, it leaves about three weeks to reset physically.
The choice of the liga to move forward, ignoring wear, goes against what other leagues are starting to rethink. Some countries now allow flexibility in the return of international competition clubs. This is not the case here.
Courtois’ declaration is not only frustration. It is an invitation. A sign that may be time for more players to speak. The culture of remaining silent to maintain peace no longer makes sense. When constant fatigue becomes normal, the decline is inevitable.