Liga F: Spain’s women’s professional league games suspended as referee go on strike

Referee officials in the Liga F, Spanish Women League have decided to embark on strike.

This has therefore affected the first round of matches scheduled for this weekend.

Players of Atletico Madrid and Real Sociedad had on Saturday taken to the field. The matches were cancelled after the officials did not show up.

More #LigaF handshakes and applause. PR war continues 👏⚽🔴🔵 still no referees. Monday awaits ⚖️ #FCBFemeni pic.twitter.com/4O3G2wf0WJ

— Tom 💙⚪ (@TomsMagicBox) September 11, 2022

Four matches were to take place on Saturday with another scheduled for Sunday – however, all the matches were called off.

Women referees are demanding professional status and payment in line with officials in the men’s La Liga.

Players were walked on to the pitch without any officials before the games were officially postponed.

The referees and assistant referees, who had announced a strike on Thursday, said the league (LPFF) is yet to address their concerns. They also said they would not officiate any top-division fixtures “under the present working and economic conditions”.

“The referees want to provide the best possible service to football and that necessarily means having minimum working conditions comparable to those of the refereeing establishment of the men’s professional competition,” they said in a statement.

We will accept no blackmail

Reacting to the situation, the LPFF says it would “not accept blackmail” and “that all teams would be on the pitch for their matches on Saturday and Sunday”.

READ ALSO: Tuchel proud of his achievement at Chelsea

It added that if the officials did not show up, the league would “proceed to file the corresponding complaints”.