Astiazaran told reporters on Thursday there had been “no major progress” in talks that would prevent the suspension of La Liga’s schedule on April 2-3. The dispute centres on broadcast regulations with Spanish clubs seeking to enhance their position ahead of negotiations for new media rights deals.
The LFP is currently in talks with the Spanish government with the aim of scrapping regulations which state one La Liga game per match day must be shown on free-to-air television. The body is also seeking guarantees about how much it is entitled to receive from lottery and betting revenue.
Owing to the packed football schedule, any postponement of the games would leave June 11-12, three weeks after the end of the season, as the earliest window for rescheduling. Despite his pessimistic outlook, Astiazaran stated the forthcoming international fixtures may provide time for further talks. He said: "The national team plays on Friday in Granada and we will more or less all be there. Let's see if we can find some common ground." The LFP’s stance is backed by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), but has been met with a legal challenge from six of La Liga’s 20 clubs.
Sevilla, Villarreal, Athletic Bilbao, Espanyol, Real Zaragoza and Real Sociedad are all in opposition and Bilbao said in a statement: “Athletic Club and the representatives of the other five clubs had put forward all kinds of arguments against the suspension, considering this measure to be disproportionate, inopportune, against the law, as well as against the interests of the clubs, the competition and the fans.”
While Bilbao backs the general argument of the LFP, the statement added: “Nevertheless, our entity totally disagrees with the negotiation strategy and the forced measures taken.”
