Amanda Gutiérrez: «I hope that the Federation knows how to listen to the soccer players»

A year ago now, the BOE published in its pages the constitution of Futpro, the first union formed exclusively by women soccer players. At the forefront was the lawyer Amanda Gutiérrez (31 years old), who today has become the main voice demanding the rights of the players, and a mediator in the conflict between the fifteen internationals that caused the so-called ‘Mutiny of Las Rozas’ and the Federation. The first year of life of the union is fulfilled. What balance does it make? We cannot be happier with everything we have done, despite being a new union that has entered a very consolidated world, with all the power distributed. We have realized how this world works and how little it matters that we are. Was this world expected like this? We knew that we were going to bother and that they would try to step on us in some way. Nor did we expect, as soon as we were born, to become the majority union. That has made those stones that we thought were going to be placed on us even bigger. The milestone of this first year of life is the creation of the women’s professional league. How do you rate your startup? It is important that all matches are broadcast. Last year we lost a very important wave with the golden ball to Alexia, the attendance records at the Camp Nou… That has been solved. Now we are negotiating the new collective agreement, and that is when, at the level of the rights of the players, we will have to assess whether the change is going to be positive or not. Related News standard No Women’s football Vilda: «We have no communication with the 15 self-excluded» IMJ standard Yes Women’s football The impasse of the mutineers Pedro Cifuentes In what phase is the negotiation of the agreement? We have had several meetings with the League. The most controversial issues have not yet been discussed, but I want to think that the result will be positive. It would be very hard for me to believe that the League does not see that its greatest asset is the players and that they deserve an agreement in conditions. What do they hope to achieve? The main thing is the issue of partiality. We categorically refuse the existence of partial contracts. The players are hired one hundred percent of their day and there can be none in fraud of law. It is a red line. On the subject of salary we echo all the agreements that the League has signed, where many millions are considered. The speech that they are going to charge what they generate is no longer valid. It is a professional league and soccer players must be paid as such, taking into account that their profession lasts less than another, that it requires much more dedication in less time, that their body is constantly at risk and that when they finish their career they must have an outlet. Have numbers been discussed? Not yet. We are waiting for the League to give us information on the numbers it is considering. Do agreements like the one reached by the referees benefit the negotiation? Yes, of course. It is a reality that soccer players cannot charge less than referees. Before that agreement we already took for granted that in the new agreement that figure was going to be exceeded, but it is one more argument. Another important leg of the new agreement is the protocol against sexual harassment. How is that going to be controlled? It will not be a controversial issue because I take it for granted that not a single club will oppose it. What we want is to create a protocol that the clubs can apply and that really protects the players. The one that currently exists has been shown to not work, as was seen in the case of Rayo Vallecano and Carlos Santiso. There we realized that it did not protect the players, that they had to show their faces and speak. The new protocol must guarantee the anonymity of the soccer player, require her presence in the process as little as possible and speed up the complaint and resolution as much as possible. They also demand a similar sexual health protocol. It is an issue just as important as physical appearance. There are still clubs without a psychologist, but we believe that we still have to go further. It is necessary to propose formulas in the agreement so that a soccer player can have psychological assistance whenever she wants it without being conditioned to the club in which she is. Is there a position in the union regarding the incorporation of trans soccer players to the League? It is a pending issue with our affiliates and we know that it is very complicated. Any solution that is applied will discriminate, whether it is against the group of women or the trans group. It’s time to talk about the earthquake in the selection. You have taken an active role in mediating the conflict between the 15 rebel players and the national team. At what point is that mediation? Futpro was created by the players and acts when they ask for it. The important thing is to achieve a reconciliation between both parties. The soccer players and the Federation suffer with all this. A product is being devalued that is very powerful and that should be taking much more advantage of it. We are looking for what benefits Spanish football the most and that is what we have to discuss with the Federation to reach a consensus. Have there already been meetings? At this point it is important not to give details for the sake of mediation, but I can say that we are taking steps forward in a very positive sense. What do you think of the Federation’s performance? As I said, we are on a very good path. I hope that the Federation knows how to listen to the soccer players. You were accused of inciting the substitutes for the 15 mutineers to “go see a psychologist and then make a show of it.” I want to answer very clearly. In no case have we pressured any player. It saddens me a lot to see how the media and entities take information as valid without contrasting it about a private conversation. We have spoken with all the players, those who are not being called up, those who are and those from the lower categories. The bottom line is that they all want the same thing. That is why Futpro decided to intervene on behalf of all of them. Are you aware that there is a confrontation between the mutinous players and those who do go to the national team? It’s a complicated subject, but I don’t like to talk about confrontation. You have to treat them as what they are, professionals from top to bottom and that’s it. Do you think the players have explained their position well? They talked to who they had to talk to in a private sphere that should never have transpired. Apart from that, they trust that a solution can be reached and that it remains in the private sphere without going any further, because the only thing it does is harm women’s football. MORE INFORMATION news Si Álex Alcaide: «The hormones do not give me an advantage; when they give me, I’ll quit» news Yes The vague scope of the ‘trans law’ in sports news No Spain wins the U-17 World Cup again news Yes Veto white: a rule against the rule Rumors of all kinds are emerging. .. The first thing must be to reach a consensus between both parties. Once it is achieved, it will be possible to talk and explain everything. Doing it in a still open situation cannot bring any kind of benefit.