Real Madrid secured an important comeback win over AEK Athens, triumphing 3-2 in the Champions League. This success allowed the Madrid side to draw level with Paris Saint-Germain at the top of the league-phase standings, although the French club retain first place on the back of a better goal difference.
However, after the match, another debate has erupted within the Madrid camp, this time regarding the Spanish league fixture schedule. The criticism has centred on La Liga president Javier Tebas, over the scheduling of Real Madrid’s next match against Valencia on Saturday, just three days after their Champions League commitment.
The criticism was voiced on the club’s official television channel, Real Madrid TV, where one of the commentators openly expressed displeasure with the decision.
“There is no sense in Real Madrid playing on Saturday, having played a Champions League match today. This schedule is dictated by Tebas, who treats us as if we were a Lithuanian team”, the commentator said, in a statement also published by AS.
During the post-match analysis, there was no shortage of praise for José Mourinho and the way he is managing the squad. The decision to leave players such as Arda Güler and Aurélien Tchouaméni out of the travelling squad was seen as evidence of the coach’s trust in the entire squad.
“Mourinho has faith in the whole team, which is why he left Güler and Tchouaméni at home. If you win this match, you have accomplished almost half of your objective in the league phase. It was not easy at all to play in Greece”, the commentator said.