Football doesn’t stop, not even for Christmas. The Premier League takes the ‘focus’… but more and more countries are joining the ‘binge’ of the ball during these Holidays.
Boxing Day opens three days in 12 days
There is nothing more media-worthy than the Premier League and its ‘Boxing Day’. ‘Box Day’ is the most special day of the year: the stands, taking advantage of the Christmas holidays, are filled with families and Papanoeles. A tradition that in ‘football’ starts in 1860 and is linked to the boxes that the nobles gave to the servants with the leftovers of the copious Christmas meals every December 26, coinciding with the festival of Saint Stephen.
The Grinch and Santa Claus, sharing the stands.Lapresse
Manchester City and Everton will raise the curtain on Boxing Day 2024-25. “We’ve had Christmas Day off the last two seasons, which is always nice, but this time we have to train,” lamented Kyle Walker on the BBC.
But it’s not just Boxing Day. The Premier accelerates the pace at Christmas. There are three full days of the League ahead in 12 days. The main course, however, is left for last. Liverpool, which leads with four points ahead of Chelsea, hosts Manchester United in the English ‘Clásico’ on January 5.
Matchday 18 in the Premier (December 26 and 27). Alberto Rubio Garcia
Matchday 19 in the Premier (December 29 and 30 and January 1) Alberto Rubio Garcia
Matchday 20 in the Premier (January 4, 5 and 6) Alberto Rubio Garcia
It will be an especially demanding period for Leicester. Ruud van Nistelrooy’s pupils are preparing to visit Liverpool and Aston Villa and host Manchester City.
‘Supercoppa’ and ‘Befana’ in Italy
‘Calcium’ has considerably expanded the Christmas menu in recent years. The great event, historically, coincides with the day of the Epiphany (January 6). It is better known, however, as the day of ‘La Befana’, the name given to the old woman, often represented as a witch, who flies over Italian homes handing out gifts and sweets.
There will be a double portion of Serie A. One matchday will be played, number 18, on December 28, 29 and 30, and another, matchday 19, on January 4 and 5. Special attention for four matches: Lazio-Atalanta, Juventus-Fiorentina, Milan-Roma, Fiorentina-Naples and Rome-Lazio.
Matchday 18 in Serie A (December 28, 29 and 30). Alberto Rubio Garcia
Matchday 19 of Serie A (January 4 and 5). Alberto Rubio Garcia
In between, the ‘highlight’ of ‘calcio’: the ‘Supercoppa’ of Italy. It will be held in Saudi Arabia. Inter and Atalanta will open ‘fire’ in the semi-final on January 2. Juventus and Milan will compete in the other ‘semi’ (January 3). The final will be played on the 6th, coinciding with Three Kings Day. Better gift, impossible.
Super Cup with Monaco and PSG
Ligue 1 will return in 2025 with eight matches on matchday 16 on January 3, 4 and 5. The one that is ‘missing’ was played on December 18. Paris Saint-Germain beat Monaco (2-4) to score an (almost) fatal goal for ‘Le Championnat’: Luis Enrique’s men are 10 points ahead of Olympique Marseille and Monaco.
The 17th matchday of Ligue 1 (January 3, 4 and 5). Alberto Rubio Garcia
The eyes, however, will be on PSG-Monaco!!! on January 5th. No, we have not gone crazy. Both teams will meet again… with the French Super Cup at stake. It will be held in Doha.
Porto-Boavista and Sporting-Benfica
Portugal will vibrate with two new ‘rations’ of ‘futebol’. Matchday 16 (December 27, 28, 29 and 30) has two great attractions in the form of derbies: Porto-Boavista and Sporting-Benfica.
The 17th day of the Primeira Liga (December 27, 28, 29 and 30). Alberto Rubio Garcia
The 18th day of the Primeira Liga (January 3, 4, 5 and 6).Alberto Rubio Garcia
There will also be the League (17th matchday) on January 3, 4, 5 and 6. There will also be a confrontation between two members of the ‘top 4’: Benfica and Braga.
Four full days and ‘Old Firm’
Now, no one has a greater football ‘offer’, at least in quantity, than Scotland. ‘His’ Premier ‘gives’ us four days! at Christmas.
A fan dressed as Santa Claus touches a ball.Phil Cole
All the matches of the four days will be held on the same day, in a unified manner: December 26 (‘Boxing Day’), December 29, January 2 and January 5. There will, of course, be ‘Old Firm’. It will be played on January 2 at Ibrox Park. The ‘Protestants’, second nine points behind the ‘Catholics’, should do very well to snatch the League title from them.
Belgium also has its ‘Boxing Day’
‘St. Stephen’s Day’ is also a big day in Belgium. There will be a day, the 20th, in the Jupiler Pro League. It will be, in fact, the only football that is played… until after Epiphany. The ‘focus’ will be on the match that opens the day: Antwerp (Antwerp) receives Genk, the leader.
Day number 20 in Belgium (December 26 and 27). Alberto Rubio Garcia
The Bundesliga will have to wait until January 10
In Germany, the traditional winter ‘break’ has been gradually reduced in recent years. This season will last only 18 days, from December 22 to January 10. Fussball will return in style on Friday. Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen will open the 16th matchday.
Matchday 16 in the Bundesliga (January 10, 11 and 12)Alberto Rubio Garcia
