Court set to rule on La Liga strike
Reuters - Friday 25 March 2011, 16:09
MADRID - A Madrid court has postponed a
decision on whether to prevent a La Liga strike on April 2/3
until it has heard arguments put forward by the professional
footballleague (LFP) and six clubs against industrial action.
The clubs - which include Sevilla and Villarreal and are
known as the G-6 - must make their case at a hearing next
Tuesday along with the LFP, the court said in a statement on
Friday.
The LFP decided at a meeting last month to suspend matchday
30 unless the government scraps a rule that one La Liga game per
matchday should be shown on free television.
However, the G-6 broke ranks and filed a legal challenge on
Wednesday to try to have the decision declared void.
They believe a strike would be "disproportionate,
inopportune, against the interest of clubs, the competition and
supporters and, what's more, against the law."
The LFP argues that removing the obligation to show one
match for free will strengthen clubs' bargaining power in
negotiations on audiovisual rights with media firms.
It also wants guarantees about how much cash clubs are
entitled to receive from betting and lottery revenue.
LFP president Jose Luis Astiazaran said on Thursday he saw
"very little chance" of finding a solution that would prevent
the suspension of matchday 30, when La Liga leaders Barcelona
are due to play at Villarreal and second-placed Real Madrid host
Sporting Gijon.
However, he said the LFP was still open to dialogue and
Friday's match between Spain and Czech Republic in Granada,
which LFP and government officials are due to attend, could be a
chance to seek common ground.