Real Madrid will refuse to play without 72 hours between games – Ancelotti
Real Madrid manager, Carlo Ancelotti, has warned that the team will refuse to play in the future if his players are not given a minimum of 72 hours’ rest between matches.
The LaLiga giants have also escalated their complaints over scheduling on Saturday.
Ancelotti’s men played Atlético Madrid in the Champions League last-16 second leg on Wednesday.
The match kicked off at 9pm local time and lasted 120 minutes before a penalty shootout saw it end close to midnight.
Real’s next game was against Villarreal on Saturday in LaLiga, with the match starting at 6.30pm local time.
On Friday, Ancelotti complained about the hectic schedule, blaming “television rights and money” and saying “the last thing on anyone’s mind is the players’ recovery.”
Madrid went a step further on Saturday ahead of kickoff in Villarreal, with the club’s TV channel stating that “Real Madrid will ask for FIFA’s support … so that this never happens again.”
Following Madrid’s 2-1 win over Villarreal, Ancelotti confirmed the club’s stance.
“I think today is the last time that we’ll play a game before 72 hours,” he said.
“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.”
FIFA recommends a minimum of 72 hours’ rest between games, in order to protect players’ health.
Real Madrid will refuse to play without 72 hours between games – Ancelotti
