Female soccer players in Spain are embarking on a strike just as the club season kicks off. Representatives from various players’ unions have confirmed that a dispute over the conduct of the head of Spain’s soccer federation has escalated into a battle with the soccer clubs over pay.
Earlier this month, the women’s players’ union, Futpro, stated that if working conditions did not significantly improve before the start of the season on Friday, the women would boycott the upcoming matches.
This conflict is occurring amidst broader turmoil in Spanish soccer, including the dismissal of the women’s national soccer coach and the filing of a criminal complaint against the president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation by a player on the national women’s team, who accused him of forcibly kissing her during a public celebration.
Negotiations between Liga F, the Spanish women’s soccer league representing the clubs, and the players’ unions have reached an impasse in Madrid this week, with pay being the major sticking point.
“The players are feeling pretty angry,” said Amanda Gutiérrez, the head of Futpro. “They want to play, they don’t want this war.”
Gutiérrez expressed frustration over the 11-month-long stagnant negotiations, suggesting that the league does not take the players seriously.
Currently, the minimum salary for female players in Spain is 16,000 euros, compared to 180,000 euros for male players. The players have demanded a minimum salary of 23,000 euros for the upcoming season, which can increase to 25,000 euros if the league generates more than 8 million euros in sponsor income. However, negotiations broke down when the women’s league refused to approve a minimum salary exceeding 20,000 euros.
The women’s league argues that it cannot afford larger pay increases due to various expenses, including licenses and refereeing costs. Additionally, it is obligated to allocate 20 percent of its sponsorship income to the national soccer federation for the development of soccer programs. The women’s league earns only 8 million euros annually from sponsors, significantly less than the men’s league’s 92 million euros.
In a statement on Wednesday, the women’s league expressed concern that the strike would harm the image of Spanish women’s football.
Spanish female soccer players have been advocating for higher wages and better conditions for years. Although they reached their first collective bargaining agreement in 2020, they have continued to press for improvements. Their demands include higher wages, contract continuity during maternity leave, and access to the same resources as their male counterparts.
The strike will impact games scheduled for this weekend and September 15-17. Discussions between the league and the unions are set to continue next week.
“We do not understand the argument that there is no money,” stated Futpro leader Gutiérrez, highlighting that the women’s league earns television rights and receives government funding. “It doesn’t hold up.”
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