Real Madrid President Florentino Pérez's frustration with the "bungled attempts to find a way of playing" Sunday's game at Celta Vigo has "provoked a reaction: the threat of breaking away to form a European Superleague involving the continent's top sides," according to De la Rosa & Garrido of AS. Real Madrid is "still smarting" because it feels that "all routes were not explored" to ensure that the game went ahead. At Real Madrid, "no one can understand how the damage to the stadium's roof could not be repaired 36 hours ahead of the match" -- or that authorities would not accept "allowing the game to go ahead with that part of the stadium closed off." Real Madrid argued that "elsewhere in Europe, an alternative venue would have been found." All of that resulted in the "proposal of a Superleague rearing its head once again." Real Madrid "will not lack support" if it decides to "begin this battle." Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Juventus President Andrea Agnelli have both publicly defended the idea of creating a European Superleague (AS, 2/6). MARCA reported La Liga President Javier Tebas said that a date "will soon be found" to play Celta Vigo-Real Madrid. Tebas: "The controversy over the postponement has been somewhat banal. We will find a solution in the short term" (MARCA, 2/6).
FULL REFUNDS: The EFE reported Celta Vigo "has stressed that fans who had already purchased tickets will be entitled to a full refund." By returning to the venue's ticket office, "supporters can claim their money back from this Monday up until five days after the announcement of the rearranged date." Any fans who do not return their tickets will be able to use them to attend the Real Madrid game whenever it takes place (EFE, 2/6). In Madrid, Antonio Estévez reported firefighters and the safety authorities have begun work on "fixing the damage" that Celta Vigo's Balaidos stadium sustained during a storm. The work "is mostly concerned with restoring loose plates and roof covers" (MARCA, 2/6). AS reported the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) "does not require any professional club to offer an alternative venue in the event of games being suspended" due to stadium issues (AS, 2/6).
LASHING OUT: SKY SPORTS' Guillem Balague wrote the intention of Real Madrid "was to play because Celta had the idea to use nine non-regulars" so that its squad was fresh for the second leg of the Copa del Rey semifinal against Alavés on Wednesday. Real Madrid "also wanted to play because at the moment there is only one date available for the game to be played, which is May 17" if both Real Madrid and Celta Vigo "do well in the European competitions." It may be that Real Madrid plays three games in the last week of the season. Like "a kid throwing their toys out of the pram, Real Madrid are now leaking to the Madrid press" that this is another reason to push for the European Super League. The club wants to "make it look like the only way forward is the Super League." Real Madrid has "used this opportunity" to say, "See, the Spanish league is not very well organized and we're better off with someone else" (SKY SPORTS, 2/6).
