The 2025-26 season of LaLiga EA Sports will begin on August 15-16, following an arbitration that dismissed the AFE's request to delay the start so that international players from the 2024 World Cup could rest. The league imposed its calendar. The debate is not legal, but about priorities: the economic benefit of big clubs and television networks versus the physical strain on footballers.
The business algorithm: when code rewards fatigue ⚙️
Behind this decision lies a meticulously calculated business model. Streaming platforms and pay-TV channels schedule their lineups to maximize audiences, and LaLiga's calendar management software prioritizes matches of big clubs in high-demand time slots. Biomedical sensors that measure players' muscle load exist, but they are not used to adjust the calendar; they are used to sell data to betting houses. The code is written so that the show never stops, even if the muscles say enough.
Let them play 70 matches, that's what they get paid for (and get injured) 💥
The average fan wants to see football every three days, but then complains when Mbappé or Vinicius miss half the season due to muscle injuries. The arbitration ignored medical reports warning that playing more than 55 matches a year dramatically increases the risk of injuries. But of course, what do doctors know compared to television contracts? After all, there will always be another young player to burn out. Health is expensive; a Friday night match is not.