- Liga F players set to strike
- Higher wages the main focus
- League unwilling to meet demands
WHAT HAPPENED? Players across Liga F, the top tier of women's football in Spain, will go on strike for the first two weeks of the new campaign, after failing to agree on a new minimum wage with the league itself. Liga F were in talks with several players' unions in recent weeks but it was announced on Wednesday that an agreement could not be reached.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Players are looking to secure a minimum wage of €25,000 (£21,400) for the new season, which would eventually rise to €30,000 (£25,700) in 2024-25. The previous figure sat at €16,000 (£13,700) in the last campaign, as players looks to secure better working conditions in the ever-growing women's game.
In a statement released by Liga F, they claimed to have attempted a gradual rise of player wages, promised to eliminate part-time contracts and provide other benefits such as child care. However, it went on to state they could not meet all the demands of the players, due to the risk of it causing the "collapse" of the competition.
WHAT THEY SAID: "Despite their incomprehensible attitude, Liga F, in response to the request of the unions themselves, took new steps towards reaching an agreement and [on Wednesday] presented a new alternative agreement for a single season with a minimum salary of €20,000 -- an increase of 25% on the current minimum salary -- with the possibility of reaching €23,000 based on commercial benefits generated by the competition," read a statement.
"The union response today was, once again, negative The league, in order to avoid a strike, will not give in to pressure or accept proposals that would mean the economic collapse of the competition and, therefore, the failure of women's professional football."
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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR LIGA F? The new season was meant to kick-off this Friday, with Sevilla hosting UDG Tenerife on Friday. However, given the current stand-off regarding wages, the strike now appears to be inevitable.