BARCELONA, Spain (AP) 鈥 First, Spain鈥檚 Women鈥檚 World Cup winners said they would no longer play for their country as they fight sexism in the nation's soccer federation. Now, Spain鈥檚 women鈥檚 league players are on strike and pushing for what they call a dignified minimum wage.
The Liga F 鈥 Spain's women鈥檚 league 鈥 was supposed to kick off its second season on Friday, but instead its players are striking for the first two rounds of games.
The strike comes with the nation immersed in the scandal caused by soccer federation president on the lips without her consent during the Aug. 20 awards ceremony in Sydney, Australia after Spain had beaten England in the final.
Rubiales' conduct caused outrage in Spain. It also has drawn attention away from the , which has undergone spectacular growth over the last decade but still is fighting for a pay raise that, if granted, would still be just a fraction of what's paid in the men's La Liga.
The minimum salary for the women鈥檚 league is 16,000 euros ($17,400) before taxes, compared to the 182,000 euros ($197,000) guaranteed for men in La Liga.
Of 334 female players, 80 players made under 20,000 ($21,400) euros a year, while the average salary was around 40,000 euros ($42,800), according to the league.
For Keka Vega, a former player representing the AFE player鈥檚 union, the widespread condemnation of Rubiales in Spain 鈥 and abroad 鈥 has provided an ideal scenario for players' quest for a fairer shake.
鈥淥ur players consider that after the Women鈥檚 World Cup title and the worldwide attention that women鈥檚 soccer has received it was a good moment to stand up, fight for their workers鈥 rights, and demand that the sport received the support it needs to truly develop,鈥 Vega told The Associated Press.
鈥淢aybe the league does not consider this to be the best timing, but the players have considered that it was key.鈥
Liga F started as Spain鈥檚 first fully professional women鈥檚 league last season. Its executives are now concerned that the strike could end up tarnishing its image and lead to fans, and potential sponsors, associating the labor dispute with the Rubiales controversy.
Liga F chief executive Pedro Vilches said that strike will hurt the league just when it should be taking advantage of the increased interest in women鈥檚 soccer. To start with, missing the first two rounds will cost clubs between 800,000 to 1 million euros ($857,00-$1 million), he said.
鈥淲inning the Women鈥檚 World Cup was an extraordinary success, which unfortunately practically nobody is talking about in Spain or the rest of the world because we are only talking about the situation of Luis Rubiales,鈥 Vilches told the AP. 鈥淎nd it is true that all the focus is on the Liga F, but we have been honest and offered the maximum that we can."
Vilches said that Spanish and international companies which have shown interest in becoming new sponsors of the league are concerned with the turmoil caused by Rubiales. And he fears that could be compounded by the strike.
鈥淭here are companies . . . that have become hesitant in negotiations because they don鈥檛 want to associated with this type of scandal,鈥 Vilches said. 鈥淎nd the strike does not help."
The league, led by former player and president Beatriz 脕lvarez, immediately demanded the resignation of Rubiales for his conduct at the Women's World Cup final, when he also grabbed his crotch in a lewd victory gesture.
鈥淲e were one of the first (sports bodies) to denounce (Rubiales), and our president has backed that up by speaking out as a question of her convictions,鈥 Vilches said. 鈥淲e are a women鈥檚 league . . . and of course we don鈥檛 want to look the other way.鈥
The creation of a women's league independent from the federation was a landmark moment for women's sports in the soccer-crazed country. That struggle has included other gains such as having games televised, more attention from the local sports media, and the all-powerful Real Madrid finally fielding a women's team in 2020.
Vilches argued that only Barcelona, which has won the last four domestic titles, two of the last three Champions Leagues, and has two-time Ballon d鈥橭r winner Alexia Putellas, has a women鈥檚 team that is economically sustainable.
He said the rest are losing money for their clubs despite the growth in revenues, which reached 6 million euros ($6.4 million) for the league last season. The league said that its four clubs that only field women鈥檚 teams, and thus have no men鈥檚 team to also bring in money, also depend on government support.
Vilches also said that the league estimates that any increase to the minimum wage would lead to increases up the pay scale.
But Vega, the players' union representative, said that the unions were convinced that the clubs pay higher salaries given the extra revenues sure to come.
In addition to typical living expense, she said: "You have to eat well, you have to carry out specific medical treatments if you are injured, and do all that on 16,000 euros.鈥
Rubiales, who was already temporarily suspended by FIFA, was formally on Friday. Now his fate is in the hands of a judge, who will decide whether the case should be investigated or shelved.
Spain鈥檚 national team players have said they won鈥檛 play again for their country 鈥渋f the present leadership remains in charge.鈥 They have yet to say if they will return after Rubiales was suspended and their unpopular last week.
Spain is scheduled to start the Women's Nations League on Sept. 22.
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