Spain: Professional footballers end strike over wage demands

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In a statement released late Wednesday, players’ union said: “An agreement between management and unions has been reached”.

The strike halted matches for Liga F’s first round of matches last weekend. Games this weekend however will resume following Wednesday’s announcement.

Futpro details that the new wage agreements mean female footballers will be guaranteed “a minimum salary of €21,000 for the season 2023/24 season, €22,500 for the 2024/25 season, and €23,500 by the 2025/26 season”

But this progress ‘is only the beginning’ warns Futpro, who are calling for improvements in working conditions of female players, in particular concerning maternity leave and the “anti-harassment protocol”.

“The efforts of the clubs during the negotiations made a fundamental contribution to achieving the necessary social strives without losing sight of the economic sustainability of the competition”, said Liga F.

The unions were demanding wages “commensurate with the talent” of the players, some of whom were world champions with Spain on 20 August.

Last season, a referees’ strike disrupted the start of the championship before the league agreed to increase their match fees and the Spanish government promised to contribute to a pension fund for referees.

The players’ strike came as Spanish women’s football was plunged into chaos following the scandal of Federation President Luis Rubiales forcing a kiss on world champion Jenni Hermoso after La Roja’s World Cup title triumph.

Rubiales eventually resigned on Sunday, while one of his close friends, the coach of the world champion women’s team, Jorge Vilda, was sacked last week and replaced by his assistant Montse Tomé, who became the first woman to hold the post in Spain.