Spanish first division soccer players have ended their strike for more pay after reaching an agreement with the league. The players’ unions and the association agreed on higher salaries, as La Liga and the players’ union AFE announced on Thursday.
In the future, women should receive a minimum annual salary of 21,000 euros in the 2023/24 season. Depending on the development of the league’s income, it could be up to 23,000 euros. A minimum salary of 22,500 euros has been agreed for the 2024/25 season and a salary of at least 23,500 euros for 2025/26.
Players demanded more
However, the union emphasized that the agreement on salaries could only be a “first step”. Now it’s about making progress on issues such as maternity protection, measures against sexual harassment, expense allowances and other demands.
The players went on strike at the start of the season last weekend after the league initially only offered a minimum annual salary of 20,000 euros for the new season. The AFE had called for at least 23,000. This can be easily financed for the clubs in League F with guaranteed income of almost 100 million euros for the 2023/2024 season.
So far, a minimum salary of just 16,000 euros has applied since 2019. According to the German Football Association, the gross average salary in the Bundesliga was most recently 3,500 euros. The stars of the top clubs FC Barcelona and Real Madrid are among the top earners in Europe with six-figure annual salaries.
It was not the first strike in Spanish women’s football. Over three and a half years ago, the players took a strike and got unions and clubs to sign a collective agreement for the first time in February 2020, which, among other things, provides for a minimum salary and maternity leave.
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The national team also wants to play again after the resignation of the president of the RFEF football association, Luis Rubiales. On September 26th, the world champions will face Switzerland in the Nations League A Women.
