The Champions League is now behind Real Madrid, and the team must fully concentrate on their pursuit of the La Liga and Copa del Rey titles—both of which will be settled before the Club World Cup. As the rivalry with Barcelona intensifies, Carlo Ancelotti and his players are aware that the road ahead is anything but straightforward, especially in light of a controversial decision by La Liga president Javier Tebas.
In a move viewed by many as favoring Barcelona, La Liga recently altered the Round 34 match schedule. Barcelona will now face Real Valladolid on Saturday, May 3, at 9:00 PM, while Real Madrid are scheduled to play Celta Vigo the next day, Sunday, at 2:00 PM. The rescheduling has sparked backlash among Real Madrid fans, who are frustrated that Barça received additional recovery time before their Champions League semi-final against Inter Milan.
This frustration is further fueled by the fact that Real Madrid were denied a similar request to adjust their schedule ahead of their second-leg clash with Arsenal in the quarter-finals.
When asked about the situation, Ancelotti offered a diplomatic response: “We don’t understand it, but this is the reality. We have more than 72 hours of rest, so we can’t complain.”
Barcelona’s Champions League semi-final first leg will take place on April 30 at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, with the return leg set for May 6 at the San Siro. The scheduling controversy has only added more fuel to an already heated domestic rivalry.
