Real asks La Liga to reschedule opening match of the championship. What's going on?

Real Madrid has not yet secured a place in the FIFA Club World Cup final, but the club is already hedging its bets, requesting a delayed start to their La Liga campaign just in case. And, as it turns out, they have solid grounds for this move.

Details: According to The Athletic, in May, an agreement was reached between La Liga, the players’ union association, the federation, and the clubs (Real and Atlético) stating that if any team reached the quarterfinals of the Club World Cup, their opening matches in the Spanish league would be rescheduled.

The agreement is based on the stipulation that players are entitled to a minimum of three weeks’ vacation and three weeks of preseason training — totaling six weeks between the end of the tournament and the start of La Liga. Real Madrid’s timeline falls short here, with just 36 days between the final on July 13 and their first scheduled match against Osasuna on August 19.

If La Liga approves, the match against Osasuna will be postponed, and Real will kick off their campaign on August 24 against Real Oviedo.

Reminder: Earlier reports indicated that the fate of Benfica defender Álvaro Carreas’ transfer to Real depends solely on the bosses of the Lisbon club.