The Spanish League has announced the date of the Madrid derby match between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid, which will be held at Wanda Metropolitano Stadium, in the seventh round of the Spanish League for the 2025-2026 season.
What is the date of the Real and Atletico match in the Madrid derby?
The official date for the match was set on Saturday, September 27th at 5:15 pm Spain time, amid a state of controversy related to the match schedule and the duration of the comfort between the meetings.
Why did the derby date sparked the controversy?
The Derby date has caused criticism from some followers, since Atletico Madrid will get a 24 -hour rest period compared to Real Madrid, before the upcoming confrontation.
Real Madrid will play against Levante on Tuesday, September 23 at 10:30 pm. As for Atletico Madrid, it will play its match against Rayo Valicano on Wednesday, September 24th at the same time.
Thus, the coach Diego Simeone team gets only 64 hours and 45 minutes of rest, that is, less than the 72 -hour minimum recommended by the Spanish Football Association (AFE) last March, as it is necessary to maintain the physical and psychological readiness of the players.
Have this crisis repeated before?
This is not the first time that this type of controversy is raised. Last season, the first derby was held in September as well, and Real Madrid then won an additional 48 hours compared to Atletico, who had played its previous match on Thursday, and had to travel as well, ending the match in a 1-1 draw.
On a later occasion, Real Madrid objected to the small number of hours of rest (66 hours) before facing Villarreal, after Atletico’s meeting in the Champions League. Its coach Carlo Ancelotti said: “We will not play another match if the players do not get 72 hours of rest.”
What are the expected reactions on the date of the Madrid derby?
So far, there has been no official comment from the two clubs on the appointment, but the tension is clear, especially since Atletico Madrid suffers from the beginning of an unsuccessful season (two points out of 9), while Real Madrid is steadily running, achieving the full mark.
The management of the schedule remains one of the most prominent issues that raises controversy every season in the Spanish League, and it may constitute an additional pressure factor on the competing teams, especially in the summit matches such as the Madrid derby.
