By Gareth Messenger
April 9 – A total 70 players from sides residing in the Primera and Segunda divisions met in Madrid yesterday at a meeting organised by the Spanish Footballers’ Association (AFE) to discuss a range of topics from legal uncertainty to economic control of football clubs.
The captains’ meeting, which took place in Madrid, evaluated issues relating to the Collective Agreement with special focus on control of the clubs and the regulation of competitions, as well as the economy and employment with players who are registered with the Liga BBVA.
The Spanish Footballers Association is set to negotiate a new collective agreement with the current one expiring on July 9, but their aspirations go far beyond the collective agreement. The players want to participate in all decisions affecting them.
“We are the only country that does not have the players for the future law, laws such as professional sports or economic control of clubs,” AFE president Luis Rubiales said.
Present at the meeting were Deportivo La Coruna’s Juan Carlos Valeron and Carlos Marchena, whose club are riddled with debt and this season went into voluntary administration. “What we want is not to lose what we have achieved,” said Marchena, “we are aware that the situation is complicated and affects all teams.”
The union’s demands to become more involved with the running of clubs may prove problematic though, as the first regulations were adopted by the LFP in 2011, and even though it is not just the LFP and employers in charge of the application, many clubs could receive possible sanctions if they allowed players more economic control in their clubs.
The last thing the AFE wants is for its members to strike, a scenario which would replicate the ones seen at the start of the 2011/12 season when over 200 players did not receive their wages, leading to a strike and a delay to the start of La Liga.
“What we need to do is take steps that both parties understand,” Rubiales added.
The reason for the strike at the start of last season was because players had to continue with their clubs without receiving compensation and by the end of the 2010/11 season; over 50 million euros were owed by clubs in Spain’s top two tiers.
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1734836167labto1734836167ofdlr1734836167owedi1734836167sni@r1734836167egnes1734836167sem.h1734836167terag1734836167. Gareth Messenger is Editor-in-Chief, www.laliganews.tv @G_Messenger