SPAIN: Spanish soccer players will strike to delay start of season

Record ID: 340503

  • Title: SPAIN: Spanish soccer players will strike to delay start of season
  • Date: 12th August 2011
  • Summary: MADRID, SPAIN (AUGUST 11, 2011) (REUTERS-ACCESS ALL) PLAYERS WAITING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE TO START REAL MADRID GOALKEEPER IKER CASILLAS AND MIDFIELDER XABI ALONSO WAITING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE TO START CLOSE OF CASILLAS ALONSO WAITING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE CLOSE OF BARCELONA DEFENDER CARLES PUYOL CAMERAMEN PLAYERS WAITING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE NEWS CONFERENCE ROOM
  • Embargoed: 27th August 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Spain, Spain
  • Country: Spain
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA2E7MO6MVG7T5SCQFQQL8J3CPR
  • Story Text: Spanish first and second division players will go on strike for the first two weekends of the 2011/2012 league season, the player's union (AFE) said on Thursday (August 11).
    "The AFE (Spanish Players Union) and all the first and second division players have taken the responsible decision, firm, unanimous of calling a strike for the first two dates of the league. This does not mean that we will lock the negotiation, we will continue talking and we will continue doing it for the sake of players and the sake of football, but the league will not start until a new agreement (between the league and the players) has been signed," AFE president Luis Rubiales told a joint news conference with around 100 football players from first and second division.
    The AFE demands a new labour agreement with the LFP (Professional Football League) to ensure payment to players from first and second division.
    The LFP approved a guarantee fund that players consider insufficient.
    "Players don't want more money, we want our contracts to be fulfilled. To ensure past dues, present dues and future dues," Rubiales said.
    The President of the AFE said that the union wants to negotiate a clause to ensure the right of a player to break his contract if the club owes him three months of payment.
    The AFE also said that the footballers' resting periods have to be ensured and said that image rights belong to the player and not the club.
    "We don't just want palliative measures, we have proposed as it exists in Holland, as it exists in Germany, as it exists in France, as it exists in England, preventative measurse. In those countries the clubs that don't pay cannot compete," Rubiales said.
    The La Liga season is scheduled to start on the weekend of August 20-21.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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