Courtois, Garcia react after Villarreal 1-2 Real Madrid – ‘This was disrespectful’ | OneFootball

Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois shared his thoughts on the recent match against Villarreal, with a particular focus on the demanding schedule that his team has had to endure.

The Belgian shot-stopper was especially vocal about the short turnaround time between this La Liga fixture and their high-stakes Champions League clash against Atletico Madrid just days earlier.

He expressed his belief that “what they showed Real Madrid this week is disrespectful.”

Fixture congestion

Courtois acknowledged that La Liga aims to schedule matches in a way that maximises viewership, ensuring that the league’s biggest clubs do not play at the same time.

However, he pointed out that this is not always feasible and suggested that the league should consider a format similar to Belgium or the Premier League.

“I understand that La Liga wants the three big teams to play separately, but sometimes that’s not possible.

“They could have “Super Sundays” like they do in Belgium or the Premier League, where there are big games back-to-back.”

Fran Garcia’s take

Fran Garcia shared his thoughts after the match. (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)

On the other hand, Real Madrid defender Fran Garcia emphasised the importance of teamwork and sacrifice in their hard-fought 2-1 win over Villarreal.

With less than 72 hours separating this game from their intense Champions League battle against Atlético Madrid, Garcia acknowledged that “the body needs to rest.”

“The key has been sacrifice. The work of each of my teammates. Those who started and those who joined. That’s one of the factors that’s helped us so much this season,” he said.

Players need rest

He noted that while the squad is somewhat accustomed to the relentless fixture schedule, recovery is still essential.

In high-intensity matches, players need to be mentally prepared to push their limits, and the upcoming break will be beneficial for the squad.

“You’re a little used to it because of the schedule, but your body needs rest, and in these demanding matches, you have to mentally prepare yourself for the effort.

“The break will be very good for us, but we have to keep working hard,”

As Real Madrid head into the international break, Garcia highlighted the solid form of the team. He commended the collective effort, with every player contributing by pressing high and maintaining intensity.

“These two weeks of rest will be good for us as we approach the end of the season with some interesting matches,” he noted.

Source: Real Madrid TV