At Barça, they are paying close attention to the start-of-season schedule. With less than a month to go before the ball starts rolling, Real Madrid's desire to postpone its debut has sparked outrage in the blaugrana command center.
Joan Laporta doesn't want any surprises and has already made it clear that if Javier Tebas dares to modify the schedule to benefit the eternal rival, he'll cause an uproar.
At the blaugrana club, they don't understand how it could even be considered to postpone a league match due to Real Madrid's participation in a tournament with neither pedigree nor tradition. Especially because there are very recent precedents that disprove any justification.
Paris Saint-Germain, for example, will play the UEFA Super Cup on August 13. Nobody in France is considering moving matches or altering the normal course of the competition. But in Spain, the rules seem to change depending on the badge.
Laporta has made it clear he won't let anything slide
The blaugrana president isn't willing to give in. He has already seen how Nico Williams's signing was frustrated by LaLiga's obstacles—after Tebas's maneuvers. Now Laporta won't allow any more boardroom moves that benefit Real Madrid.
He has already made it clear internally that if the postponement of the Whites' debut goes through, he'll file a public and formal protest against LaLiga.
At Barça, they recall how in previous years similar requests from other clubs, including Barça itself, have been denied. They believe that modifying the schedule to please Real Madrid would be an intolerable grievance.
The precedent that outrages the blaugranas
What stings most in Barça's upper management is that Real Madrid could be allowed to delay its first league match against Osasuna for planning or rest reasons. "If it were Barça, there would already be an official statement denying the request," club sources point out.
They also stress that the schedule has been known for weeks and can't be changed for the convenience of a few. If the change were accepted, it would set a very dangerous precedent, and at Camp Nou, they aren't willing to look the other way.
Last March, Barça and Osasuna postponed their match from matchday 17 due to the death of Carles Miñarro, the blaugrana doctor.
Raphinha and Araújo couldn't be fielded
Invoking a privilege that Madrid received in 2017, both clubs requested to play the match between the last and second-to-last matchdays. But the judge denied the request and the match was played on March 27, 48 hours after the FIFA break for national teams.
Barça had a handful of players scattered around the world, who couldn't be fielded due to the proximity of the fixture. Among them were Raphinha and Araujo.
Nobody paid attention to Barça, which appealed in defense of its interests. Laporta thinks Real Madrid should now receive the same treatment that Barça got. At Camp Nou, they don't consider themselves responsible for FIFA overloading the schedule in search of more money.
Tebas, between a rock and a hard place
For now, LaLiga isn't considering a postponement. At Barça, they don't trust it. They know Florentino Pérez is skilled at pulling strings in the boardrooms and don't rule out a last-minute change.
Laporta has already raised the alarm and is ready to take action if he detects any attempt at favoritism.
This time, they won't stand idly by.