The Women’s Football had marked September 10 as a historic day. began the first professional league and there were many expectations for a competition that promised changes and that, finally, begins with the same uncertainty as always. The Professional Women’s Soccer League (LFPP) did not consider the arbitration group as professional. And they have been planted. The first day is in the air.
The referees’ complaint began in early September with a press conference. “If we want a professional league, It is important that the referees have a contract. We are the only estate that does not have it”, assured Guadalupe Porras, Yolanda Parga and Marta Huerta, on behalf of the arbitration group. “That small leap in quality is what it takes to ask for exclusivity. For 160 euros per game, can someone leave a job? & rdquor ;, they claimed.
A week later, his situation was still immobile. And, less than two days before the start of the league, they announced in a statement that they would not direct the games without being professionals. “We want to communicate our decision not to conduct any match in the current conditions of lack of definition of our employment and economic situation & rdquor ;, they warned.
An endless war
After the statement from the arbitration group, the LPFF blamed Rubiales directly: “The professionalization of women’s sport is experiencing a new episode of embarrassment, again led by the President of the RFEF, Luis Rubiales, who once again uses women as a battering ram to destroy Spanish women’s football and prevent professional women’s football from growing the way it is& rdquor ;, they affirmed. As reported from the competition, both organizations were already discussing the new economic conditions of the referees, but the federation did not respond to the latest proposal.
The RFEF allocated 3,300 euros per match to arbitration. But 2,598 were for travel, maintenance and clothing, which left 300 euros to the referee, 160 to the assistants and 80 to the fourth referee. The new proposal included that the current 3,300 euros be allocated only to the arbitration group. This would mean going from 300 euros to 1,650 and from 160 to 825. they do not contemplatenevertheless, the conditions of the fourth referee nor a contractwhich is essential to ensure a minimum of rights that they do not now have, such as contributions or sick leave.
OFFICIAL COMMUNICATION League F #LeagueF pic.twitter.com/vnCjfQaKJN
– League F (@LigaF_oficial) September 8, 2022
The current RFEF proposal is to allocate five million to arbitration per season, 21,000 euros per game and 315,000 per team. But again, uncertainty reigns. It is unknown what part of the investment goes directly to the arbitration group and what to manage the expenses. In addition, those five million would not be applied soon, but the current budget would be gradually increased.
Given the lack of agreement between the two responsible bodies, the CSD has intervened. “They will have all the support to improve their current conditions, increase their salary and be recognized professionally. The Council will hold meetings between the parties starting next week to promote a negotiation that meets these objectives & rdquor ;, they announced. Nevertheless, nothing is clear a few hours before the start of the competition. And it will be the decision of the referees if they trust these meetings and show up to the match, or they do not consider it to be sufficient guarantee to direct the first day.
The new competition, the F League, is no longer directed by the federation but it is still in charge of dictating the regulatory rules. And the professional league and the RFEF continue to have to reach agreements for various decisions. Y It is not the first time that the CSD has had to intervene. It has already done so this summer to agree on the extra-community competition or to reach an agreement with the calendar.
The changes of the new league
For the first time in history, all league games will be televised. DAZN acquired the audiovisual rights forr 35 million and five seasons. Mediapro will also broadcast a free match each day, increasing the agreement to 7.5 million per campaign, which doubles the income of previous years. On this first day, if it is finally played, all the matches can be followed openly on YouTube.
The J1 ? of the #LeagueF starts this Saturday and will be broadcast in full on ? pic.twitter.com/cyV341r0yN
– League F (@LigaF_oficial) September 9, 2022
There are also changes in the calendar. One of the problems of the previous season is that most of the games overlapped. DAZN has the possibility of moving meetings to Friday and Monday (at 6:00 p.m. or 8:00 p.m.), and there are five slots for Saturdays and Sundays.
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Another of the most important changes is the agreement with La Liga for 42 million. They will be in charge of all the sponsorships – naming, marketing, balls. The other sponsor of the competition remains to be agreed upon, which will give this League F its last name. a deal with Puma, which will supply the balls, just as it happens in the men’s first and second division. At the moment, the balls have not arrived and they will start with those of the Santander League.
Finally, another significant distinction is that the CSD will contribute 18 million to the clubs for sports infrastructures, which will be distributed according to the characteristics of each team. Last season, for example, 25% of the income went to those who did not have a men’s club behind them.