Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has strongly criticized La Liga officials over what he described as an unfair and congested match schedule for his club. The Portuguese coach called on league leadership to give his squad adequate recovery time between fixtures.
Unfair Rest Period
Mourinho expressed frustration regarding the limited recovery window following his team’s Champions League fixture against AEK Athens. He pointed out that domestic rivals Barcelona and Atletico Madrid were given more rest between their matches, whereas Real Madrid was forced to cope with a far more demanding schedule.
When asked if he had a message for La Liga leadership, Mourinho initially responded with a sarcastic tone. “No, no message, I have to stay humble, because they have all the power,” he stated.
He urged league organizers to avoid placing similar fixture demands on the club in the future. “All I ask is that they don’t do things like this to us again, where we play on Sunday, then Wednesday, then Saturday, it makes no sense, it’s a joke,” Mourinho said.
Impact of European Travel
Mourinho emphasized the physical toll the itinerary takes on his players, detailing how the late travel from Greece disrupted their routine. The squad landed back in Spain at 3:00 a.m. and was required to stay overnight at the club’s Valdebebas training facility.
“Barca and Atleti played on Tuesday and Sunday, so why should we play Wednesday and Sunday, and have to sleep at Valdebebas, because we landed from Athens at 3am?” Mourinho asked, adding, “I ask them to leave us alone.”
