Laudrup backs strike action as players refuse to train or play

This article was reserved for a special day in the Spanish football calendar. It was going to be a preview of Jornada #1 of the brand new La Liga season with Mallorca kicking off against new boys Rayo Vallecano. But this is no longer going to happen.

A couple of weeks ago, the LFP shocked the world when they confirmed the dates and kick-off times of both Jornada 1 and 2 well in advance of the games themselves. Spanish fans aren’t used to organisation from the LFP, who are well known for announcing details just a few days before games making away support almost impossible. But the novelty didn’t last long as the Players’ Union (AFE) announced it was to go on strike for both weekends.

The reason? Wages. Or lack of them, really. Spanish football, just like the country itself, is in financial turmoil. Real Betis have the worst record with an enormous €18 million (£15.7m) of unpaid player wages. The players want guarantees that they will be paid what they are owed in future, and this strike is about coming to an agreement with the league to make this happen.

It’s not the first time the AFE has called a strike. The surprising thing is that they have actually followed through. Most journalists and fans would’ve expected that, after the meeting on Wednesday morning between the two parties, the strike action would’ve been called off. They were wrong.

Veteran midfielder Pep Martí confirmed in a Mallorca press conference that the strike action would go ahead and that the team would not train on Friday, Saturday or Sunday as part of the action. The likes of Espanyol, Betis, Almería, Hércules, Getafe and Málaga all took the same action. And they have support.

‘There are alot of players in the Spanish first and second division that haven’t been paid for a long period of time. Some players for more than twelve months,’ Mallorca Head Coach Michael Laudrup told American broadcaster CNN (see video below). ‘It’s okay what the players are doing now. They’ve arrived at the point where they’re saying enough is enough.’

Journalists such as Sid Lowe also commented that the strike action is fair, just unfortunate for the fans who were looking forward to the return of football.

It is, as yet, unknown whether Jornada #2 will take place. It is also unknown when Jornada #1 will be played with an already congested fixture list. Some are suggesting that the winter break should host the games, but nothing official has been said yet.

To read more about the strike and it’s origins, see Sid Lowe’s article in the Guardian