Real Betis asks to postpone season‑opener after Lo Celso reaches World Cup semi‑final

Real Betis plans to request that La Liga delay its first‑round match against Valencia at Mestalla because midfielder Giovani Lo Celso will be playing in the World Cup semi‑final. The league’s regulations allow a club to defer its opening fixture when it has at least one player in the tournament’s last four, giving Betis additional days to integrate new signings Álvaro Fidalgo and Cucho Hernández and to aid injured players.

La Liga president Javier Tebas has warned that the quarter‑finals and semi‑finals involving Spanish and French players could force the postponement of several first‑round games. Up to four fixtures – including Barcelona‑Athletic, Real Madrid‑Real Sociedad, Atlético‑Málaga and potentially Sevilla‑Rayo Vallecano or Valencia‑Betis – may be moved to later dates. Osasuna, whose debut in Vigo is slated against Celta, says it does not support a change because of its tight European‑league schedule, but the league is preparing a split‑date plan that could see some matches played between the second and third rounds.