Real Madrid escalated their complaints over scheduling on Saturday, with the club’s official TV channel confirming the team will refuse to play in future if their players aren’t given a minimum 72 hours’ rest between matches.

Madrid played rivals Atlético Madrid in their Champions League round of 16 second leg on Wednesday, a game which kicked off at 9 p.m. local time and lasted 120 minutes, plus a penalty shootout, ending at close to midnight.

Their next game was against Villarreal on Saturday in LaLiga, with the match starting at 6.30 p.m. local time.

Coach Carlo Ancelotti complained about the congested calendar on Friday — 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 kick off in Villarreal, with the club’s TV channel stating that “Real Madrid will ask for FIFA’s support… so that this never happens again.”

FIFA recommends a minimum of 72 hours’ rest between games, in order to protect players’ health.

However timings are set by competition organisers, with LaLiga determining kickoff times for league games in Spain.

Real Madrid’s title rivals Barcelona and Real Madrid have an additional day’s rest this weekend, facing off in a crucial LaLiga game on Sunday evening.

The busy fixture list has been a regular source of complaint among leading clubs and players in recent years, with the 2024-25 season being further extended by the newly expanded FIFA Club World Cup, which will take place between June 15 and July 13.