Football | Court suspends strike in Spanish league ahead of last rounds

Barcelona’s Lionel Messi

A Spanish court yesterday suspended a strike called by the soccer players’ union, allowing the final two rounds of the season to be played.
The National Court announced its decision in a statement, ruling in favor of the Spanish league’s request to temporarily suspend the strike.
Judges Ricardo Bodas Matin, Emilia Ruiz-Jarabo and Ramon Gallos, who had examined the case, said holding the strike would prevent the conclusion of first and second division championships on their scheduled dates.
They ruled this would “cause serious organizational disorder,” that would be difficult to resolve given the complexity of Spain’s international sporting commitments as well as club and players’ holidays.
The ruling also required the league deposit a bond of 5 million euros (USD5.7 million) by 3 p.m. local time, something that was done.
The players’ union said last week it would strike from Saturday as a protest against a proposed government law that aims to regulate the sale of television rights and the distribution of revenues.
The strike was backed by the Spanish soccer federation. Shortly after the court’s ruling was announced, the federation said it too had called off its plans to suspend matches.
The government’s proposed law would replace the current system, which allows clubs to negotiate the sale of their TV rights, with collective bargaining. The aim would be to enable a more even distribution of income between big clubs with great viewer appeal and less well-known clubs.
Barcelona leads Real Madrid by four points and could clinch the league title with a win at Atletico Madrid on Sunday. The leaders will also play Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey final on May 30, a match that had been threatened by the strike.
The ruling gave the union five days to lodge an appeal and said the court’s decision was provisional and “could be modified” when it further studied the union’s reasons for wanting to strike. AP