Barcelona face a brutal calendar after the international break with 9 games in 28 days | OneFootball

Players of top European clubs have been very vocal about the hectic schedule this season and rightfully so.

In fact, Real Madrid openly criticised the same matter earlier this month with manager Carlo Ancelotti slamming authorities for placing games with less than 72 hours of rest between them.

Notably, the next month for Barcelona is horrifyingly hectic and many games have less than 72 hours of rest between them. What makes matters worse is how much rides on every game at this point in the season.

A month with no respite

Barcelona’s marathon month includes a staggering seven games in just 20 days and possibly nine games in just 28 days, numbers that put into perspective how much wrong there is in today’s system.

Their schedule after the international break begins with the game in hand against Osasuna on Thursday night after which they will have just 65 hours to rest before they take on Girona in the same competition.

Barcelona are staring at an unrelenting calendar. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

For the next game, they will have 78 hours but it will be against Atletico Madrid in the reverse fixture of the Copa del Rey semi-final where they must start from scratch after the first leg ended 4-4.

69 hours later, Barcelona return to action in La Liga where they take on Real Betis at Montjuic. It is only after that point that they will have 96 hours before a game.

Awaiting them after the seemingly luxurious break is Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League.

Thereafter, they will take on Leganes in La Liga and Dortmund in the reverse fixture with about 70 hours of rest before both games.

Two games await the team on the weekend of April 19-20 and midweek on April 22-23 against Celta Vigo and Mallorca respectively. Should the team qualify for the Copa del Rey final, they will have to play that game on April 26 as well.

The situation is far from ideal but Barcelona must find a way to navigate this trying schedule as it may very well define their season.