Liga F season start threatened by player strike

The start of the 2023/24 Liga F season could be delayed due to a potential player strike.

Five player unions representing the top flight of women’s football in Spain have called for a strike on the first two weekends of the new campaign after failing to agree a deal over better pay and conditions.

The Spanish footballers’ association (AFE) have confirmed negotiations, which are aimed at ‘achieving fair treatment’ for players, to ‘reduce the existing wage gap’ and other issues, have not progressed.

The strike starts September 8, 2023, and will go on for the first two match days of Liga F, Spain’s women’s professional league. 🇪🇸

The strike comes due to the lack of negotiations on the Collective Agreement with the aim of achieving fair and dignified treatment for the players… pic.twitter.com/UpoAOwf9DO

— Attacking Third (@AttackingThird) September 1, 2023

Further talks are planned for September 4 with the new campaign scheduled to start just four days later.

🚨COMUNICADO OFICIAL🚨Las jugadoras de la Liga F convocan dos jornadas de huelgahttps://t.co/6sLzd5vxvq pic.twitter.com/Isigzv3get

— FUTPRO (@futpro_es) September 1, 2023

The combined union effort wants to secure a collective agreement over the situation, after completing a key deal in 2020, bring the minimum player salary in Liga F to €16,000.

AFE and other unions are expected to offer an update in the coming days, as Spanish football finds itself embroiled in a wider controversy surrounding the treatment of female players, as part of the ongoing calls for Luis Rubiales to resign as RFEF president.