Rarity: La Liga Bullies Don't Get Their Way

Posted on 11/1/2011

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Mid-day kickoffs are the new fashion in Spain’s La Liga and right from the start on Sunday, November 6, one of the country’s global goliaths will be subjected to the experiment.

Real Madrid will take on Osasuna at 6 a.m. ET for those in North America. The match will be broadcast live here on GOL TV Canada.  Last time the two teams met, Osasuna shocked Real Madrid 1-0 but that was in Pamplona where Karim Benzema (pictured) and co. shed tears along with valuable points in falling further behind Barcelona last season. 

This will be the first time in 16-years that Real Madrid will endure such an early kickoff time. Last time was on September 3, 1995 away to Rayo Vallecano.

While the big clubs – namely Real Madrid and Barcelona – lobbied not to be included in the early kickoff plans, it seems this is one rare instance where the bullies of Spanish football didn’t get their way.

League President Jose Luis Astiazaran has stressed the change is important for "new avenues of revenue" and that "being the best (league) demands sacrifices." Astiazaran cited La Liga’s massive popularity in the Americas and Asia for pursuing the change.

Astiazaran was candid about the move and made no apologies for not favouring the big teams’ wishes. He said no one club will benefit or suffer more than others due to the early kickoff times. Showing favouritism would have been particularly thorny with smaller clubs already charging that Real Madrid and Barcelona profit unfairly from television revenues.

Live Matches This Weekend on GOL TV Canada

Saturday, November 5

10:20 a.m. – Dortmund v. Wolfsburg (Germany)
12:55 p.m. – Mallorca v. Sevilla (Spain)
4:55 p.m. – Botafogo v. Figueirense (Brazil)
7:15 p.m. – Cartagena v. Nacional (Colombia)

Sunday, November 6

6 a.m. – Real Madrid v. Osasuna (Spain)
11:20 a.m. – Augsburg v. Bayern Munich (Germany)
1:55 p.m. – Ath. Bilbao v. Barcelona (Spain)
3:55 p.m. – Getafe v. Atl. Madrid (Spain)

An earlier version of this article indicated Indios v. Cruz Azul would be shown Saturday at 9:20 p.m. ET. That match has been pulled from the calendar. GOL will be showing Pumas Morelos v. Irapuato on a delay Saturday at 11:30 p.m. ET.