Spanish players threaten strike over unpaid wages
Reuters - Monday 05 April 2010, 19:37
BARCELONA - Spain's football players' union (AFE) has threatened to stage a strike over
unpaid wages that would affect matches in the top four tiers of
the league between April 16-19.
The AFE said in a statement on Monday it wanted to continue
talks with the sports council, the football federation and the
professional league to agree a "grand pact for Spanish football"
that would satisfy the players' demands.
If an accord was not reached, all players in the top four
tiers would go on strike for the April 16-19 matches and did not
rule out further action, the statement said.
Under new president Luis Rubiales, the AFE is taking a more
active approach to helping players get cash they are owed by
financially struggling clubs, especially those working in the
third and fourth tiers of Spanish football.
Rubiales is a former player at Valencia-based Levante and
helped organise industrial action over unpaid wages in the
2007/08 season when they were in Spain's top division.
The April 16-19 strike, if it goes ahead, would affect the
matches between La Liga leaders Real Madrid and third-placed
Valencia and champions Barcelona and city rivals Espanyol, among
others.
The AFE said a large majority of players backed Monday's
statement.
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