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)