Spain’s women’s players maintain plan to strike after salary talks break down before season opener

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — The players for Spain’s women’s league maintain they’ll go on strike rather than start the new season after salary negotiations with the league broke down on Thursday.

The AFE players union, one of five unions representing the players, said no deal had been reached because “we consider the economic proposal of the Liga F unacceptable.”

The players had announced their plan to strike last week. The season was set to kick off Friday.

The strike comes with Spain reeling from the consequences of the kiss by the president of its national soccer federation of a player without her consent after the Women’s World Cup final. Since then, the players for Spain’s women’s national team and several dozens more have said they won’t play for their country until the federation changes leadership.

The player, Jenni Hermoso, has accused federation boss Luis Rubiales of sexual assault.

The minimum salary for the women’s league, called Liga F, is just 16,000 euros ($17,400), compared to the 182,000 euros ($197,000) guaranteed for men in La Liga.

The unions want to increase that minimum salary to 23,000 euros a year, with the option of it reaching 25,000 euros if the league makes more than 8 million euros in revenues.

The league said its best offer of 20,000 euros, with the chance for that to reach 23,000 if revenues surpass 8 million euros, was rejected by the players.

The strike will impact the first two rounds of play. The league opener was scheduled for Friday between Sevilla and Tenerife.

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