Javier Tebas, president of LaLiga, dismissed Thibaut Courtois' request to delay the 2025-26 league opener for player rest, saying it was decided by the Spanish Football Federation. Courtois felt players deserved additional recovery after the Club World Cup. Tebas explained players would still have 20 days of rest and training. He noted that other leagues like the Premier League and Ligue 1 did not adjust their schedules. Courtois criticized Tebas' comments, stating that he had not encountered similar attitudes in other sports or leagues, emphasizing the importance of player health.
"I believe that they will have 20 days to rest instead of 21 and no other leagues like the Premier League for Chelsea or the French Ligue 1 for PSG are changing the games," he told the Associated Press. "So I don't believe that we should change the calendar for that reason, especially thinking that it's a matter of one day."
"It's always the same for La Liga," Courtois said Wednesday. "To listen to those comments from a president it's something that I haven't seen it in Italy, or in England, nor the NBA and NFL."
"It's fine if Tebas doesn't like the Club World Cup, but it exists. It's part of the FIFA calendar. We're here competing, and it seems this gentleman just wants to be the focus. I've never seen a president of another competition speak like that. The players' health is on the line."
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