What was given is finished. The World Cup in Qatar is already an unforgettable memory for the Argentines and a bitter nightmare for our French neighbors. While Messi and company continue to celebrate and Mbappé licks his wounds, the clubs recover their teams and accelerate preparations for the return of local and international leagues. The binge of games that Real Madrid can face stands out: 17 matches (if they go through to qualifying) in five different competitions (League, Cup, Spanish Super Cup, Club World Cup and Champions League) and in just 60 days.
A football intoxication that “concerns” the White House. To the “nonsense of holding a World Cup on these dates”, which has always been lamented internally, is added the uncertainty about the physical condition of the participants in this event. And to this we must add another indigestion: that of the inevitable toasts, sweets and fuss that Christmas and New Year’s celebrations entail. The pros “are used to it and will take care of themselves in that aspect”, another thing will be how they deal with so much disconnection and emotional fluctuations.
5 matches and many away games
The ‘revelry’ begins on December 30th. League visit to Real Valladolid at the José Zorrilla stadium. Stage popularly known as “pneumonia” due to the ditto that it can take due to the low temperatures it records. after a to stop for grapes, the round of 16 of the Copa del Rey will arrive on January 4 against a rival yet to be confirmed. Three days after visiting La Cerámica, Villarreal’s refurbished stadium will be Meringues’ last game in the local competition before traveling to Saudi Arabia to celebrate the Spanish Super Cup. Gattuso’s Valencia CF awaits there for the semi-final scheduled for 11 January. If Madrid win, they will face off against the winner of Barça-Betis in the final on the 15th. As I told you last week, I know that this trip to the Middle East “has been carefully prepared” by Real Madrid’s medical and recovery services. The transition from the heat of Qatar to the cold of Madrid and back to the Saudi heat “haunts” the physical trainer Antonio Pintus, who aims to “avoid future muscle tears”.
Back in the capital of Spain, Cup and League return. If Carletto’s men advance in the competition by knockout, they would play the round of 16 and quarterfinals in the same month of January, interspersed with two championship duels. And watch out for these! San Mamés against Athletic and Real Sociedad in Chamartín. The Santiago Bernabéu will open its doors to welcome Imanol’s men on the 29th of the first month of the year. It will have been 79 days without football at the Concha Espina and it will mean the return of Real Madrid to its already heavily refurbished temple.
The month of February will bring with it another eight possible matches and two more races. On the 2nd the championship match postponed by the Spanish Super Cup is recovered, which is, in fact, always against Valencia. After a plane to Mallorca and without the time to assimilate what happened, it will be time to pack an even bigger suitcase: the one needed for the club world championship. This edition takes place in Morocco, as happened in 2013 and 2014. If Madrid prevail in the semi-final (8 February), they will contest the title in the final on 12 February. Otherwise I would wait Elche at the Bernabéu for that same date.
The shortest month of the year would end with a hypothetical Copa del Rey semi-final (February 15), a visit to the dentist in Pamplona on the 19th and two succulent dishes to crown such a sumptuous manduca: Liverpool at Anfield for the Champions League and Atlético de Madrid in Spanish. Real will go from 0 to 100 in two months in which, as they say in the locker room, “playing all 17 matches would be the best sign”.
