A Serie A player strike resurfaced on Wednesday after Italian Players’ Association president Damiano Tommasi claimed the Italian Football League had yet to sign a new collective agreement, and now AFE counterpart Luis Manuel Rubiales has claimed his members could delay the start of the new Spanish season.
The AFE is seeking the introduction of a fund designed to protect players’ wages if clubs become insolvent. Racing Santander last month became the latest club to seek protection from creditors, joining fellow La Liga clubs Real Mallorca and Real Zaragoza as well as all three teams promoted to the first division at the end of last season – Real Betis, Rayo Vallecano and Granada – in administration.
Rubiales has claimed a “minimum agreement” must be reached with the Spanish Football League (LFP) by Monday, without which the new season cannot commence. “La Liga has to start when the problems are truly resolved with a will that we don’t see from the LFP at the moment,” Rubiales told Radio Marca. “We are very disappointed. We do not see how a league that is growing in income by eight to 10% each year has a fund that has more restrictions on it than in earlier agreements, and that may not be approved (by the AFE).”
He added: “This is a roadblock, a severe interference standing in the way of a collective agreement. If we are talking but you are not listening to what we say, I don't know that these meetings have any value. We have challenged both institutions to reach a minimum agreement by August 8. That same day I have convened a special board meeting to see if there is an agreement and dialogue based on the commitments we have made with the players of Spain.”
