Real Madrid Warns of Boycott Over Fixture Congestion and Insufficient Rest

Carlo Ancelotti issued a warning that they will refuse to play a game in the future if players don't get at least 72 hours to recover between matches.

Managers speaking up about tight schedules has happened many times before and it continues now with Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti. The club has taken a strong stance against the fixture congestion issue this time, warning that they will refuse to play a game in the future if players don’t get at least 72 hours to recover between matches.

🗣️ @thibautcourtois: “Ha sido una falta de respeto hacia nuestro equipo; el desgaste físico es muy grande”.
🎙️ Declaraciones completas ➡️ RM Play
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) March 15, 2025

Ancelotti spoke up about the matter before they took on Villarreal on the road and won 2-1. Los Blancos had to play this LaLiga fixture just over two days after a grueling Champions League match against Atletico Madrid, which kicked off at 4:00 PM ET on Wednesday.

The match was decided by penalties, pushing the playing time beyond 120 minutes. Real Madrid then had to face Villarreal, with the match kicking off at 1:30 PM ET on Saturday – just over 66 hours later.

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Ancelotti voiced his frustration before the La Liga match, saying he understands the need to play on a weekend for the “television rights and money.” However, he added that “the last thing on anyone’s mind is the players’ recovery.” The official club TV channel also announced that they would seek FIFA’s support to ensure such scheduling issues do not happen again.

“‘”We Won’t Do It Again” – Ancelotti

Real Madrid won the match against Villarreal courtesy of Kylian Mbappe’s brace. After the game, Ancelotti doubled down on his stance, saying:

“I think today is the last time that we’ll play a game before 72 hours. We won’t do it again, without 72 hours of rest. We asked LaLiga to change the time of the game twice, and they didn’t do anything. But this is the last time.”

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Ancelotti was later asked if Madrid would refuse to show up in case of another situation such as this. His response was firm: “No, of course not.”

Ancelotti said that Los Blancos requested a schedule change. However, Marca spoke to La Liga sources who have denied to the Spanish media house that they ever made such a request. Even so, as per FIFA guidelines, a minimum of 72 hours between matches need to be given to protect players’ health.

Atletico Madrid

Carlo Ancelotti

Champions League

La Liga

Real Madrid

Villareal

Moumita Dutta

soccer

Football writer at The Playoffs. I’ve been obsessed with the beautiful game since I was a kid.. Eventually, I realized I could combine my passion for writing with my love for football, and I’ve never looked back. My favorite part of the job is everything—when you’re doing what you love, even a late-night deadline feels like extra time in a thrilling cup final. Lastly, Lionel Messi is the GOAT.