Real Madrid are counting a 40-day break between the nightmare 4-0 defeat against PSG -9th July- and their La Liga opener against Osasuna -19th August-. The club is already in the shortest holiday break in its history.
The issue has been so hotly debated that Javier Tebas and Thibaut Courtois have become embroiled in a war of words. The point is that, with the figures on the table, this is the Real Madrid with the fewest holidays in history from the end of one season to the start of the next.
PSG’s humiliation in the semi-finals of the 2025 Club World Cup came on 9th July. Xabi Alonso’s side will make their debut in the new La Liga campaign at the Bernabeu against Osasuna on 19th August at 21:00. This gives a 40-day break.
To put this in context, that’s 33 fewer days than last year. Real Madrid lit the 2024-25 flame on 14th August 2024 in Warsaw on the occasion of the European Super Cup final against Atalanta. They had been waiting for it since 1st June. 73 days.
Without Bellingham, with signings
While some take advantage of their holidays, Xabi Alonso continues to work on his new project at the club. Because Jude Bellingham will be out for between two and four months after undergoing surgery. The consolation is that the Basque coach is going to start a project from scratch with signings in pairs in his planning.
Dean Huijsen, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Franco Mastantuono – from 14th August – and Alvaro Carreras are the new arrivals. And no one was counting on the emergence of Gonzalo Garcia. This is the Real Madrid with the least rest in history, but with the makings of a resurgence like never before.
Days of rest between dates (top 10, from less to more)
40 days : from 9 July 2025 to 19 August 2025
43 days : from 7 August 2020 to 20 September 2020
54 days : from 17 June 2007 to 11 August 2007
58 days : from 22 June 1997 to 20 August 1997
61 days : from 20 June 1999 to 21 August 1999
62 days | from 17 June 2001 to 19 August 2001
62 days | from 22 June 2003 to 24 August 2003
64 days | from 30 June 1989 to 3 September 1989
65 days | from 3 June 2017 to 8 August 2017
66 days | from 18 June 1995 to 24 August 1995
