“We cannot extend this much more, every day that passes we are losing rights,” said the spokeswoman for the footballers
MADRID, Jan. 20 (SportsFinding) –
The players of the First Iberdrola, the highest category of Spanish women's football, denounced this Monday feeling “not at all” and did not rule out repeating the strike call last November if their first Collective Agreement is not signed with the Association of Football Clubs Female (ACFF).
“Go on strike? We would not like to, but in the end we feel that we are not being taken seriously. We do not discard anything. We do not care how the agreement is signed, what we want is to be signed. what hasn't been done? It's something that escapes me, “said Athletic Club player Ainhoa Tirapu.
Athletic Ainhoa Tirapu, along with Real Betis Priscila Borja, was the spokeswoman for the players at the press conference held at the headquarters of the Association of Spanish Footballers (AFE) in Madrid, with the presence of 20 First footballers, including Amanda Sampedro and Silvia Meseguer, and the president of the union, David Aganzo.
Tirapu recalled the pre-agreement reached on December 20 between the players and the Association of Women's Soccer Clubs (ACFF), although the employer indicated days later that the signing of the same would be “subject to the signing of the necessary agreements” with the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) for the incorporation of clubs to the Elite Program.
The incorporation of the clubs into the Elite Program would mean that they received 500,000 euros a year, in the case of the First Iberdrola, and 100,000 euros per year, in the case of the Iberdrola Challenge, the Second Women's Division.
The 'lioness' lamented that on Monday the players were summoned to celebrate a “historic day”, but that they have encountered this situation of “uncertainty”. “We do not understand what is happening. The deadlines pass and the process is lengthened, so we are losing labor rights. We cannot afford to extend this much more. We feel none at all,” he said.
In this sense, Tirapu remarked that the players already had to “prove what the collective force is.” “We would not like to get to that extreme. We have felt very wrapped up by all the social agents, and when it is signed more, women's football will grow. You do not know what the reason is, they say that there are some fringes in television rights “, he pointed.
For his part, his Betic partner Priscilla Borja also wondered “when” they will sign “what everyone agrees.” “We ask for explanations. We've put everything on our side, that's why we canceled the strike and here we continue. We don't have a deadline to call the strike,” Borja said.
AGANZO: “THE WARS MUST BE LEFT”
For his part, the president of AFE, David Aganzo, recalled that they have been negotiating the 'Equality Agreement' for more than 13 months, from November 8, 2018 until December 20, 2019. “These have been tough negotiations. The message is clear: we need an immediate response and we don't want to get to any more problems, “he said.
In this sense, Aganzo remarked the “union” and “commitment” that the players demonstrated in the November strike call, and that the signing of the Agreement was on January 15. “Today we are on February 20 and we expected it to be a historic day for Spanish sport. The issue of wars must be set aside. On December 20, an agreement was agreed and what we wonder is why it has not been signed” he stressed.