Chile's footballers have voted to go on strike, "forcing the start of the league season to be postponed," according to Brian Homewood of REUTERS. The players' association (SIFUP) is "unhappy at a decision to reduce promotion and relegation in the new season, a move which it says has cost 120 players their jobs in the top two divisions." SIFUP has "also complained about unpaid wages at some clubs." It said in a statement, "The professional players unanimously decided to follow the call to stop the national championship." The Chilean FA (ANFP) has ruled that "only one team" will be relegated and one team "promoted between the top tier, known as the Primera Division, and second tier, known as the Primera B," at the end of the '16-17 season. Meanwhile, there will be "no promotion or relegation at all between the second and third tier, known as the Segunda." The ANFP confirmed that the start of the season this weekend "would be postponed and said that the reduced promotion and relegation was for the upcoming season only" (REUTERS, 7/19).
