Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois wants LaLiga to grant his club's request to reschedule its league opener so the players can have the rest they are entitled to.
Madrid, who were eliminated from the FIFA Club World Cup after a 4-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in Wednesday's semifinal, are due to face Osasuna at the Santiago Bernabéu on Aug. 19.
"I hope LaLiga can change the match, even move it to the following week," Courtois said after Wednesday's game at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
"Rest and preparation are important for a good league. And for the health of the players."
Real Madrid asked LaLiga to delay the game and have the support of the Spanish Players' Union (AFE), who sent a letter earlier this week to LaLiga, the Spanish FA and both Madrid and Osasuna, reminding them of the importance of rest and a proper preseason with regards to player health.
Like other clubs, Madrid should have a minimum of six weeks -- three weeks rest and at least three weeks of preseason training -- between tournaments that the Spanish Players' Union (AFE) had agreed with LaLiga earlier this year.
The added fixtures in both club and international competitions have led to frequent criticism by both players and league officials like LaLiga president Javier Tebas.
Tebas has said that he wants the Club World Cup "eliminated" as it affects "the entire ecosystem of national leagues, especially in Europe."
Courtois bristled at Tebas' remarks. "He may not want the [Club] World Cup, but it exists, we are here and he must comply with our rest and preparation," the Belgium international said.
"It's always the same with LaLiga. Hearing those comments from a president ... it's something I haven't seen in Italy, England ... the NBA, the NFL; I've never seen a boss talk like that."
Courtois stressed again the need for a longer break, saying: "You can't expect us, after finishing LaLiga, that that is already vacation because we've played in the World Cup, which is part of the FIFA calendar."
Courtois insists the players are happy to play more games as long as they have the necessary breaks.
"No one has a problem playing so many games, the problem is the rest," he said. "And having only three weeks off, and then having to play a good season ... that's where the difficulty lies. We are the only sport in the world that has 11-12 months of competition and that's where the mistake is."