Rescheduled Valencia – Real Madrid clash blocked due to lesser-known rule

A few days ago, it seemed as though the postponed La Liga fixture between Valencia and Real Madrid had been all but confirmed for the 2nd of January.

However, in a strange turn of events, an agreement between La Liga and the association of Spanish footballers prohibits the match from taking place on this date.

As per Cadena SER, an agreement is in place which prohibits any football from taking place between the 23rd of December and the 2nd of January.

As a result of the aforementioned agreement, it is possible that Real Madrid will be unable to complete the fixture until the 21st of May, leaving a lot of time until Los Blancos can get back up to speed with their rivals Barcelona, who have played an extra game.

There is also a rule which mandates a minimum of 72 hours between matches, having not long ago been a minimum of 48 hours, which further complicates things.

The most likely solution however is that the game could be played on the 3rd of January, allowing Real to play their cup tie on January 6th before heading to Saudi Arabia to play in the Super Cup on the 9th.

GSFN | Ciaran Currie