(Football news) The calendar for the 2023/24 LaLiga season has been revealed, with the new campaign to start on Friday 11th August and run until Sunday 26th May. LaLiga’s second tier, meanwhile, will kick-off on the same weekend and run for one week longer, until Sunday 2nd June.
Reigning champions FC Barcelona will kick off the defence of their 2022/23 title in the Spanish capital against Getafe CF. 2021/22 champions Real Madrid, meanwhile, who were knocked off their title perch by Xavi Hernández’s side last season, will start their campaign with a tough away day against Athletic Club at San Mamés in Bilbao.
On the first matchday, fans will see Sevilla FC welcome Valencia CF to the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan in a clash of historic LaLiga heavyweights, Europa League rivals Villarreal CF and Real Betis face off at the Estadio de la Cerámica, and Champions League contenders Real Sociedad welcome Girona FC, last season’s newly promoted surprise package.
The first ElClasico between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona of the 2023/24 season will take place on Matchday 11 in Barcelona on the weekend of 29th October, with the return fixture on Matchday 32 at the Santiago Bernabéu on the weekend of 21st April.
FC Barcelona will face Atlético de Madrid, Real Madrid’s city rivals, on the weekend of the 3rd December (Matchday 15) at home, and then travel to the Spanish capital on the weekend of 17th March (Matchday 29) for the reverse fixture.
As always, Real Madrid and Atlético de Madrid fans will also be looking forward to the Madrid Derby. Their first meeting will be on the weekend of 24th September (Matchday 6) at Atleti’s Civitas Metropolitano home, with the return fight on the weekend of 4th February (Matchday 23) at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Every LaLiga season is packed with other exhilarating derbies and this year will be no exception. Seville’s iconic derby, El Gran Derbi, will see Sevilla FC host Real Betis on the weekend of 12th November (Matchday 13), with the reverse fixture set for the weekend of 28th April (Matchday 33). Up north, meanwhile, the first Basque Derby between Real Sociedad and Athletic Club is scheduled for the weekend of October 1st (Matchday 8) in San Sebastián, with the reverse fixture taking place on the weekend of 13th January (Matchday 20).
The draw has also thrown up some spectacular games for the final matchday of the season – reliving the experience of this season in which 14 sides went into their final fixtures with something on the line. Matchday 38, on the weekend of 26th May, will feature a host of blockbuster fixtures between European contenders: Sevilla FC vs FC Barcelona, Real Sociedad vs Atlético de Madrid, Real Madrid vs Real Betis, and CA Osasuna vs Villarreal CF.
With no winter World Cup to take into account this season, LaLiga’s traditional Christmas ‘break’ will take place from Friday 22nd December to Monday 1st January inclusive, and the competition will resume on Tuesday 2nd January in line with the collective bargaining agreement between LaLiga and AFE (Association of Spanish Football Players).
Five FIFA international breaks have also been set for the upcoming season:
- Monday 4th – Wednesday 12th September
- Monday 9th – Wednesday 17th October
- Monday 13th – Tuesday 21st November
- Monday 18th – Tuesday 26th March
- Monday 3rd – Wednesday 11th June
Also read: https://spogonews.com/maldives-beat-bhutan-2-0-in-saff-championships/
