A Spanish court has suspended a strike called by the Spanish Footballers' Association (AFE), "allowing the final two rounds of La Liga's season to go forward," according to the AP. Spain's National Court announced its decision on Thursday, ruling in favor of the Spanish Football League's (LFP) request to "temporarily suspend the strike." The court's ruling was made "on the condition that the league deposit a bond" of $5.7M by 3pm local time. The AFE said last week it would strike from Saturday in protest of a "proposed government law to regulate television revenues." The strike was backed by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF). The court's ruling on Thursday was followed by the RFEF "also announcing that it had called off its plans to suspend matches in support of the strike." Judge Ricardo Bodas Matin said in his ruling that the court had temporarily suspended the strike because "it would provoke a great organisational disorder that would be difficult to resolve." He added that the ruling was "provisional" and "could be modified" when the court further studies the AFE's reasons for wanting to strike (AP, 5/14). In London, Tobias Buck reported Spanish football fans "breathed a collective sigh of relief on Thursday." LFP President Javier Tebas had earlier warned that the stoppage could "inflict financial damage" of up to €100M ($114M). Thursday's court decision "did not include a ruling on the substance of the case, which turns on the right of players to strike against a new Spanish law on broadcasting rights." The clash is part of a "broader conflict playing out across much of European football," as clubs, players and federations struggle to maximize their share of the "vast sums offered by pay-TV companies and other broadcasters" (FINANCIAL TIMES, 5/14). In Madrid, Sandra Del Estal reported Tebas said that "he does not know if there will be an agreement with the AFE." Tebas: "There is a mix of concepts that you do not understand. We have not called for [the strike], but we have worked and asked the government for the centralized sale of TV rights. We are content and we will not submit to blackmail" (AS, 5/14).
PROBLEMS PERSIST: MARCA reported AFE President Luis Rubiales said that the AFE "will comply with the court's decision," but he assured that "the problems remain the same." Rubiales: "We have to comply with the ruling, we are a syndicate and now there is a change of scenery, there is a trial on June 17. The problems remain the same and this is why we are negotiating" (MARCA, 5/14).
