MY ACCOUNT
Mallorca head coach Javier Aguirre has hit out at LaLiga’s scheduling as he considered the decision to play in the afternoon heat against Real Madrid “a crime”.
Los Blancos maintained their 100 per cent start to the new season with a 4-1 victory at the Santiago Bernabeu, played under 32-degree heat after kicking off at 2:00pm local time.
The kick-off time left Mexican boss Aguirre furious as he detailed the problems his players had in such temperatures.
“You can’t play at this hour, it’s a crime. You can see how the players end up after going after the ball,” he said in his post-match press conference.
“We are all exhausted, so are the fans. It is very difficult to play at this time, [Vedat] Muriqi with cramps, [Rodrigo] Battaglia with discomfort, Dani [Rodriguez], too.
“I had to change the whole midfield, and we have another one on Saturday at the same time and we have come from another. Let’s see if we have better luck in the future.”
Carlo Ancelotti also discussed the conditions after the game but came to a different conclusion, understanding the schedule is necessary due to the upcoming World Cup.
“That’s the way the calendar is – like today we had to play at 2pm,” Ancelotti said. “Fortunately, it wasn’t too hot.”
