Friday, July 17, 2026

Spanish women’s football league hit by referees’ strike on opening weekend

Spain’s female football referees are protesting the registration of non-EU players and the league calendar.

• September 10, 2022
Spanish female football referee

Spain’s female football referees have carried out strike action on the opening weekend of the Primera Division season, causing the postponement of fixtures.

The Professional Women’s Football League (LPFF), which oversees the Primera Division, has been in dispute with the Spanish Football Association (RFEF) over several issues in the build-up to the new season.

The issues include the registration of non-EU players and the league calendar.

On Thursday, the RFEF issued a statement on behalf of female officials.

It announced their “unanimous decision not to direct any match of the First Division National Championship” due to concerns over their “employment and economic situation”.

Although the LPFF claimed to be locked in negotiations regarding officials’ conditions on Friday, the strike action went ahead the following day.

Atletico Madrid, who won three consecutive titles between 2016/2017 and 2018/2019, announced their meeting with Real Sociedad had been postponed “due to the non-appearance of the refereeing team”.

UEFA Women’s Champions League runners-up Barcelona Women dominated the division last term, winning all 30 of their games and scoring 159 goals.

They are scheduled to go to Levante Las Planas for their first outing of the campaign on Sunday, though the officials’ strike has thrown that fixture into doubt.

(dpa/NAN)

We have recently deactivated our website's comment provider in favour of other channels of distribution and commentary. We encourage you to join the conversation on our stories via our Facebook, Twitter and other social media pages.

More from Peoples Gazette

farmers

Agriculture

FG tasks ECOWAS on leveraging financing strategies for agroecology

The federal government has urged stakeholders in the agriculture and finance sectors in the West Africa region to leverage financing strategies to enhance agroecology practices

Katsina State

Politics

Katsina youths pledge to deliver over 2 million votes to Atiku

“Katsina State is Atiku’s political base because it is his second home.”

suspected phone thieves

States

Niger: Police rescue two suspected phone thieves from mob

He identified the suspects as Hassan Abdullahi, 20, and Khalifa Bashir, 22. 

COURT OF APPEAL

Heading 5

Court of Appeal nullifies Electoral Act provisions on parties’ primary election, membership register

Zenith Party argued that the disputed Electoral Act provisions unlawfully interfered with the internal affairs of political parties. 

Babajide Sanwo-Olu

Lagos

Governor Sanwo-Olu inaugurates climate investment fund

Mr Sanwo-Olu described the fund as a landmark intervention. 

Kano-Daura rail project

NationWide

NRC reaffirms police partnership to protect rail assets

Mr Opeifa described the nation’s railway infrastructure as critical national assets that must be safeguarded.