Barca ask La Liga to move their Valladolid game to an earlier date

Barcelona have this Monday sent a formal letter to La Liga, once again requesting that they bring forward the kick-off time for their Matchday 34 fixture against Real Valladolid. The game is currently scheduled for Saturday, the 3rd of May, at 21:00 CET at the Estadio José Zorrilla.

Sources within the Catalan club have confirmed to 'EFE' that they have proposed to the league organisers that the match be played at 14:00 CET, 16:15 CET, or 18:30 CET on the same day. This is to allow Hansi Flick's squad to prepare in better condition for the second leg of their Champions League semi-final clash against Inter Milan on Tuesday, the 6th of May.

In their correspondence, the Blaugrana outfit express their gratitude to La Liga for having already altered the date of the match, which was originally planned for Sunday, the 4th of May. However, they are now urging for an earlier kick-off time to prevent their players from arriving back in Barcelona in the early hours after their trip to Valladolid. This is crucial as they will be playing for a place in the Champions League final at the San Siro just three days later.

This official request aligns with the comments made by Flick last Friday, where he voiced his displeasure with the scheduling. He stated that "in every other European league apart from the Spanish one," there is concern for the kick-off times and fixture congestion faced by clubs competing in European competitions.

During that press conference, the German gaffer lamented the 21:00 CET kick-off against Valladolid, a time which he argued "prevents him from preparing normally" for the Inter Milan showdown due to the late return to Barcelona.

Following their manager's remarks, the club had already announced on Saturday in a statement that they would be lodging a formal complaint regarding the scheduling.