Spanish unions and football clubs reached an agreement on Thursday on salary increases for football players in the Liga F, the highest women’s football competition. That reports the AFE trade union. The players are ending their strike, which started last week and would actually still be in effect next weekend.
Five unions have been negotiating a better employment contract since January 2022. Last season, the minimum wage for the players, who practice their profession full-time, was 16,000 euros. The players and unions wanted a minimum wage of 25,000 euros. They didn’t get that; in the agreement they agreed on an amount of 21,000 euros. They also agreed that the minimum wage will increase over the next two years to 22,500 euros first and 23,500 euros the following year. From the 2025-’26 season, the football players will earn 28,000 euros per year.
Despite the new minimum wage and the end of the strike, negotiations on employment conditions will continue in the near future. The players also want more support when they combine their career with motherhood. According to them, contracts must also continue during maternity leave. The unions and players also want a protocol against intimidation.
Also read this interview with Merel van Dongen: ‘In Spanish women’s football we want a minimum salary of 25,000 euros per year’