Spanish soccer strike scuppers Saturday's season start
(Read article summary)Players in Spain's La Liga started a two-week strike Friday to demand payment of back wages. But the teams, several of which are in bankruptcy say they can't afford to pay.
Madrid
It was only a question of time. Spain’s La Liga, where most of the players from World Cup champion Spain ply their trade alongside other football stars like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, is officially postponed.
Players from first- and second-division teams, including those from the likes of giants Barcelona and Real Madrid, started a two-week strike Friday – the first Spanish soccer strike in over a quarter century. League play was scheduled to start Saturday.
The players union wants the clubs to pay back wages owed to dozens of players, a debt that by June had reached 42 million euros ($60 million). They also want the emergency fund that protects against unpaid salaries to be increased from the current amount of 40 million euros.
