La Liga urged to postpone Real Madrid’s opening fixture of new season by Footballers’ Association | OneFootball

La Liga yesterday announced the official fixture list for the 2025/26 campaign, with Real Madrid slated to kick off their campaign on the weekend of August 16-17, when they take on Osasuna.

However, in the wake of Real Madrid’s recent triumph over Juventus in the FIFA Club World Cup, which granted them a place in the quarterfinals, the players’ union in Spain are calling for Real Madrid’s opener to be postponed.

What the union is saying about Real Madrid

As reported by Mundo Deportivo, the Association of Footballers in Spain (AFE) has urged La Liga to delay Real Madrid’s first game of the season.

The players’ union insists the postponement is necessary “in defence of the players’ health,” given the packed summer calendar.

“From today, just through mutual understanding, La Liga should postpone the match and stop prioritising industry over the health of the players,” the association reportedly told authorities.

Real Madrid secured a crucial 1-0 win over Juventus in the Club World Cup Round of 16 (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

“This hurts Real Madrid, a club that is part of the league. They can start later because they are Spain’s main representatives, and it’s the players who give value to the clubs,” they added.

The current collective bargaining agreement guarantees players 30 days of vacation, with 21 to be taken consecutively.

In light of this, AFE has suggested rescheduling Madrid’s opener to August 27.

AFE had already spoken to the captains of both Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid before the Club World Cup.

They had proposed a delay in their league debuts if either team reached the final stages of the competition. The union’s proposal was also formally presented to La Liga.

While Atletico left the competition early, Real Madrid are now in the quarterfinals, where they will take on German giants Borussia Dortmund, in a rematch of the 2023/24 season’s Champions League final.