There is "enormous perplexity" in the heart of Spain's Ministry of Employment & Social Security before "the strikes called for this weekend by various territorial football federations" in "defense of youth football," according to Gallardo & Gómez of MARCA. A ministry source said that the new regulations that have caused the federations to call for strikes are "nothing more than applications of current legislation, which has not been modified." The source added, "The only intention of these measures is to guarantee the protection, rights and transparency of this sector. Our only interest is in supporting youth football while abiding by Social Security and protecting the rights of the workers." Spain Employment & Social Security Minister Fátima Báñez said that her agency "does not understand why this strike is mixing the concept of having to value workers, something inherent in any working relationship in this country, with other aspects like distribution of TV rights or money from the quiniela lotteries." Báñez: If we want sports protected, respectable, transparent, with rights, the directors of the Federations have to push this and spread this. Sport cannot be a zone of shadows that is not governed by laws" (MARCA, 2/12).
