La Liga Showdown: Tebas Fires Back at Flick's Scheduling Critique

The clash between schedule density and player welfare in the football world has reached its boiling point, again, folks. That esteemed Coach Flick over at Barcelona isn’t just pointing fingers at late kickoffs; he’s practically shaking his fist at the sky, demanding why, in the year of our Lord 2025, the powers-that-be still seem as clueless as a chicken with a calculator when it comes to scheduling. “It’s a complete joke,” he exclaims, in a presser that didn’t just echo through La Liga’s hollow headquarters, but resonated with every overworked athlete out there. And it’s not just about rest—or the lack thereof. The repercussions of this mess roll out like a never-ending halftime spectacle. What’s even more startling? La Liga’s President, Tebas, instead of reading the room, decides to read it right back, suggesting if it’s really that bad, then why not take the issue to UEFA’s doorstep? A strategic deflection, or a profound oversight? Either way, as the Spanish football juggernaut rumbles into action, it seems even the homegrown talent at Barca, nurtured like the finest Spanish wine, can’t quite catch a breath.

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The ongoing debate surrounding fixture congestion in the 2024–25 season has reignited after Barcelona manager Hansi Flick voiced frustration over the club’s demanding schedule. In response, La Liga president Javier Tebas publicly pushed back on the German coach’s remarks.

Barcelona remain in contention across all competitions, but Flick expressed discontent ahead of the team’s match against Celta de Vigo, criticizing the late kickoff times and tight turnaround between matches.

“Do you know how many matches we have played in recent weeks? And do you we play late against Valladolid? We arrive very late, maybe the players are in their beds at four or five in the morning. I don’t want to make excuses. And we have no time to rest, and I want to discuss with the guys who are responsible,” the coach stated on the press conference.

Flick’s frustration centers on Barcelona’s La Liga match against Real Valladolid, scheduled for May 3 at 9 p.m. local time—less than 72 hours before their Champions League semifinal clash against Inter Milan: “Why can we not play at 18:00 in the evening? Give me one reason. I want to see this guy that decides it, who is responsible for it. For me, it’s a joke. I think also for bad for Spanish football.

“Every Federation, the Bundesliga, Premier League, takes care of their clubs, but we don’t do it here. It’s just, ‘Ah, let them play, they can come back at five or six o’clock (in the morning).’ We have just reached bed for four hours. It’s unbelievable.”

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Tebas fires back to Flick

Flick’s comments reached the highest levels of Spanish football, prompting a pointed response from Javier Tebas during the presentation of La Liga’s 2023–24 financial report in Madrid.

“I have to remind Flick, who was very harsh with me, that he could also complain to UEFA—why don’t they schedule both semifinals on the same day, both matches on Wednesday? Why does it always have to be La Liga taking the blame for this issue, when we’ve been offering 10 time slots for 10 years?” he reproached, asking him for a claim to the Champions League organizers.

Despite his defense, Tebas also offered praise for Barcelona’s performance this season and the club’s reliance on homegrown talent. “FC Barcelona has great players who came up through their own system, and also has great scouting, so their current position doesn’t surprise me. That proves that success isn’t only achieved by buying, buying, and buying. There’s the example of FC Barcelona, who haven’t made ‘Premier League-type’ signings,” Tebas added.