‘NBA players play every 24 hours’ – La Liga president takes another swipe at Real Madrid over fixture complaints | OneFootball

La Liga president Javier Tebas has dismissed complaints from Real Madrid and other clubs about fixture congestion and scheduling, making a rather bold comparison to the NBA’s gruelling schedule.

Speaking at a conference, Tebas addressed the ongoing debate about the 72-hour rest period between games.

Tebas pointed out that European football has been dealing with packed schedules for years, particularly when it comes to the Europa League.

Citing NBA

He noted that for the past 14 years, clubs have been playing on Thursdays in the Europa League and then again on Sundays. According to Tebas, it’s nothing new, and he seemed surprised that it’s being treated as a fresh issue now.

Javier Tebas has taken a firm stance. (Photo by Arnold Jerocki/Getty Images For Sportel)

Taking a sarcastic approach, Tebas compared football’s scheduling challenges to the NBA. He joked that if playing with short recovery times was truly detrimental, NBA players would be “dead” by now.

“We’ve been doing the Europa League Thursday thing for 14 years, followed by a game on Sunday, and it seems like no one has noticed. NBA players play every 24 hours; they must all be dead,” he said.

Not La Liga’s fault he says

The La Liga president also addressed the matter of substitutions, which became a more flexible rule during the COVID-19 pandemic.

He noted that teams are now allowed to make five substitutions per match, a measure intended to help players cope with demanding schedules. However, Tebas argued that clubs are not always using their substitutions effectively.

“It was decided to make five changes for Covid, but then you make three in the (minute) 85 and complain.

“If there are 25 players per squad, it will be to rotate. It can’t be that everything is the fault of those we manage, of the leagues,” he added.

On Real Madrid

Tebas also responded to Ancelotti’s comments. (Photo by Molly Darlington/Getty Images)

Regarding Real Madrid specifically, Tebas responded to recent comments made by their manager, Carlo Ancelotti, who hinted that his team would not show up for a match if they were forced to play with less than 72 hours of rest.

Tebas dismissed the idea entirely, stating that he doesn’t take those remarks seriously and doesn’t believe Real Madrid would ever refuse to play.

“I don’t think so, nor has it occurred to me to think so,” he noted.

Tebas’s comments are likely to stir further debate, especially among clubs like Real Madrid that are competing in multiple tournaments and facing tight scheduling.

For him, the issue seems straightforward—clubs need to adapt and make better use of their resources rather than blaming the league’s organisers for difficulties.

Source: Mundo Deportivo