Real Madrid Players Frustrated by Late-Night Matches

Real Madrid players are increasingly voicing their displeasure over the late-night scheduling of their matches in the Spanish La Liga. Most of their games this season have been held at 9:00 PM local time, the latest slot for football matches in Spain.

The Spanish outlet AS quoted a club insider saying, "We are upset and angry about the current scheduling. Every time we play outside Madrid at such late hours, it takes until at least 3:00 AM to return home—if we're lucky. This significantly reduces recovery time and affects the next day’s training."

So far this season, including matches in the Super Cup and Champions League, Real Madrid has played 12 games at 9:00 PM when away from home. This issue persists into the new year, as the team will play against Valencia on January 3 at Mestalla, also scheduled for 9:00 PM, due to a rescheduled match delayed by Storm Dana.

Players and coaching staff have stressed that while occasional late matches are manageable, the consistent scheduling at these hours is taking a toll on their performance and overall well-being.