BARCELONA WERE AMONG the sides impacted by a referees’ strike in the Spanish women’s top-flight league this weekend.
The opening-round fixtures in LigaF were postponed after female referees called a strike, demanding professional status and payment in line with the men’s La Liga.
There were officiating no-shows all weekend, delaying the first season of a fully-professional women’s league in Spain after its players had campaigned for years for better working conditions and pay.
“Levante Las Planas v FC Barcelona, the first game of the women’s LigaF season, has been suspended due to the non-appearance of the match officials,” a Barcelona statement last night read.
❗️ Suspès el Levante Las Planas-Barça
— FC Barcelona Femení (@FCBfemeni) September 11, 2022
➡️ El duel de la primera jornada de la LigaF no s’ha disputat per incompareixença de l’equip arbitral: https://t.co/Y8wFPit49L pic.twitter.com/1esLtoQBie
“The local derby against the newly promoted club was due to kick off at 6pm CEST on Sunday at the Municipal de Les Planes.
“Both teams arrived in Sant Joan Despí at the allotted time and after warming up, they lined up for the game as normal. As no match officials arrived, they waited for the required half hour before the game was officially called off.”
Keira Walsh & Lucy Bronze’s league debuts for Barça not as expected. All games postponed this weekend as referees strike. @LigaF_oficial call for talks with refs on Monday, without RFEF intervention this time, to find a solution pic.twitter.com/lhDZVONGuu
— Samuel Marsden (@samuelmarsden) September 11, 2022
Star attacking midfielder and Sweden international Fridolina Rolfö added her own thoughts on Twitter this morning.
“Yesterday we got our game postponed because of the referees strike,” she wrote.
“When the league got professional it was my hope that the conditions should be good for everyone around the game. This means all of the many people who work hard to make this game what it is. It is important we bring everyone on this journey.
“For me, the positive thing about yesterday was all the fans that came along and showed their support.”
My thoughts on yesterday's match being postponed... pic.twitter.com/xWDIcw7s6x
— Fridolina Rolfö (@FridolinaRolfo) September 12, 2022
England Euro 2022 winning duo Lucy Bronze and Keira Walsh — now the world’s most expensive women’s footballer – were denied league debuts for three in-a-row holders and Champions League winners Barca as a result.
Tyler Toland is the sole Irish representative in the league, on the books of Levante UD (not to be confused with Levante Las Planas, who Barcelona were due to play yesterday).
Their game against Deportivo Alavés Gloriosas was similarly postponed.
🚨 𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐨 el encuentro entre el #LevanteUDFemenino y el @AlavesFem por la incomparecencia de las árbitras
— Levante UD Femenino (@LUDfemenino) September 11, 2022
ℹ️ https://t.co/Xpy6aUEjCL#OrgullGranota #LigaF pic.twitter.com/GkKAfjtYEt
This latest controversy in Spanish women’s football comes amidst uncertainty over the future of national team head coach Jorge Vilda. There’s understood to be a dressing room divide.
A home friendly against USA on 11 October was announced today.
