A Spanish court will "decide whether football players can go ahead with their planned strike before the final two rounds of the season," according to ESPN. Spain's National Court said on Monday that it was summoning the Spanish Football League (LFP) and the Spanish Footballers' Association (AFE) to "hear arguments" on Wednesday before ruling on the league's request that the strike be "temporarily suspended." The AFE has the backing of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) to begin an "indefinite" strike on Saturday. The strike would affect the last two rounds of the league and the Copa del Rey final on May 30. LFP President Javier Tebas said that it was "unlikely that the two sides would be able to come to an agreement on their own after Wednesday's meeting." He said, "The conciliation act is a step that has to be taken when a strike is called. We will sit with the AFE representatives and listen to what they have to say. I find it difficult that there will be an agreement in the conciliation act. In the meantime, we call on the RFEF to stop on the path they have pursued." Representatives from the 42 clubs in La Liga and the second division held an emergency meeting on Monday. Club presidents "stood by their plan to switch to collective rights in order to increase the competitiveness of the league." The LFP released a statement afterward repeating its stance that the strike called last week was "clearly a strategy" of the RFEF and was "just as illegal" (ESPN, 5/11). In Madrid, Alfredo Matilla reported LFP clubs stated that the AFE "is deceiving its footballers as the strike is illegal." The LFP will convene with the AFE on Tuesday in a "conciliation procedure -- Tebas is not optimistic ahead of that meeting." On Wednesday all parties involved must go to the High Court. In addition, Tebas asked the Spanish Superior Sports Council (CSD) for "interim measures of protection in case justice does not provide the LFP with a reason, so therefore the Government could make sure the remaining La Liga fixtures take place" before the end of the season (AS, 5/11). EL MUNDO reported CSD President Miguel Cardenal assured that the Real Decreto law approved on April 30 "meets all the requirements that were demanded." He urged "all parties calling for a strike to reach an agreement." Cardenal: "It is a very good law for players, as it gives rights to Social Security to players. Also, it will bring many resources to the teams that have less now and these will reach the players." Cardenal urged the parties opposed to the new law to "evaluate the positive critiques it is receiving from the international press." Cardenal: "I invited them to consider and read the comments from the international press, which surely is viewing this with enough objectivity and distance, and is praising all the terms of the law on each of its points" (EL MUNDO, 5/11).
