RFEF president weighs in on Real Madrid request to delay La Liga opener vs Osasuna | OneFootball

A few days ago, Real Madrid had filed a request to La Liga, seeking postponement of their league opener against Osasuna.

Real Madrid are slated to kickstart their campaign on the night of August 19 at the Santiago Bernabeu, in what will be the opening gameweek of the 2025/26 La Liga campaign.

However, after a push from the Spanish Footballers’ Association, Real Madrid filed a plea urging La Liga to rescheduel that game to October 29, citing a three-week rest that is required by the players.

Rafael Louzan on Real Madrid’s request

Now, RFEF president Rafael Louzan has weighed in on the situation. Speaking at a public event, Louzan acknowledged that the request has been passed to the appropriate legal channels.

“It has been passed on to the Competition Judge, which is what Real Madrid requested, and therefore it is now in the hands of the Competition Judge and the parties involved, who we have given a hearing: Real Madrid, Osasuna, AFE, and La Liga,” he said.

“So all the parties will be able to participate and give their comments and suggestions on the decision,” he added (h/t Mundo Deportivo).

La Liga, however, have refused to entertain Real Madrid’s request, insisting that they do not see any reason to change the schedule.

Real Madrid want La Liga to postpone their opener due to FIFA Club World Cup (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

When asked about his own opinion on the matter, Louzan tried to remain coy and said it is up to the authorities to decide.

“Everything has its course, and this one does too, and the Judge will decide,” he said.

When asked whether Madrid’s demand for 21 days of rest and an additional three weeks of preseason is justified, Louzan said, “I must respect everyone’s requests, but the experts on the matter are the ones who must decide.

“There is a calendar, and the competent person, in this case, the Judge, must make the decision.”

Finally, Louzan commented on Real Madrid’s painful exit from the FIFA Club World Cup, where they lost 4-0 to PSG.

“It was a shame because we would have liked to see them in the final, but it’s still a great success for Spanish football because we reached the semifinals.

“So congratulations to Real Madrid even though they couldn’t make the final. Hopefully, sooner or later, we’ll see them in a big final,” he concluded.