By: Elizabeth Nealon
On August 20th Spain’s National Women’s Soccer Team won the Women’s World Cup. Yet, before the trophy was lifted, President of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), Luis Rubiales, forcibly kissed star player Jenni Hermoso on live television. The greatest moment for Spanish women’s soccer and the highest career achievement for Hermoso was marred by a boss’s sexually inappropriate behavior. Rubiales’ conduct at the world cup award ceremony was wholly inappropriate as the head of the country’s federation–and potentially criminal.
What followed was a resounding response, from FIFA, the Spanish National Team, and RFEF. At a press conference on August 25th Rubiales was expected to present his resignation but doubled down instead. Following this press conference, 81 players in the national team pool issued a statement through the players’ association that they would refuse to play if Rubiales remained at RFEF.[i] The next day, Rubiales received a 90-day suspension from FIFA, restricting him from all soccer-related duties. Further, all 11 members of the coaching staff resigned excluding head coach Jorge Vilda. On September 5, Vilda was fired by RFEF and Jenni Hermoso lodged a criminal complaint alleging sexual assault against Rubiales. Finally, on September 10, Rubiales resigned.
Across the Atlantic, the United States’ National Women’s Soccer League has recently dealt with accusations that the league protected coaches accused of sexual misconduct by players.[ii] In the 2021 season, when the claims were first made public, 5 head coaches of the league’s 10 teams resigned as did the commissioner of the league. A joint investigation by NWSL and the players’ association (NWSLPA), released in 2022, discovered misconduct throughout the league.[iii] The report also acknowledged that “[t]he league is part of a soccer ecosystem in which mistreatment of players is endemic—one which affects not only NWSL, but other professional leagues, both domestic and abroad.”[iv]
This ecosystem of mistreatment has manifested itself further in the low pay rate that female players often are forced to accept. Recently though, women’s leagues have started unionizing and negotiating for higher wages and better work conditions. On September 7, the unions for the professional women soccer players in Spain announced a two-week strike, delaying the start of the highest level of women’s play in the country, Liga F. Despite soccer’s status as the most popular sport in Spain, Liga F is only in its third year of professional play and unions are working towards the first Collective Bargaining Agreement for the players since the league was professionalized. The strike was set to extend until September 17 if negotiations remained unsuccessful between Liga F and the five unions representing the players.
The largest of the unions, La Asociación de Futbolistas Españoles (AFE),[v] released a statement citing the minimum salary as the only issue being negotiated. On Sept. 13th, the strike was called off and an agreement was reached with Liga F regarding minimum salary requirements.[vi] However, negotiations on other issues, like harassment protocol and maternity leave, remain unresolved.[vii] The minimum salary agreed upon is €21,000 for the ‘23/24 season, €22, 500 for the ‘24/25 season, and €23,500 for the ‘25/26 season with potentially higher minimums based on profits from other sources of commercial to be established by the unions.[viii]
The negotiations between the unions and Liga F should be informative for other professional female soccer players hoping to renegotiate terms. When asked about the implications of the negotiations,, AFE “wants to underline that it is defending the legitimate present labor rights of soccer girls and, above all, future one, through the legitimate right to strike, showing its commitment to benefit the new generations.”[ix]
[i] FUTPRO, Comunicado Oficial Jugadoras Aug. 25, 2023, https://futpro.es/2023/08/25/comunicado-oficial-jugadoras/
[ii] National Women’s Soccer League & National Women’s Soccer League Players’ Association., Report of the NWSL and NWSLPA Joint Investigative Team (2022).
[iii] Id.
[iv] Id.
[v] La Asociación de Futbolistas Españoles, Comunicado Oficial Sep. 7, 2023, https://www.afe-futbol.com/futbol-femenino/las-jugadoras-de-la-liga-f-mantienen-las-jornadas-de-huelga/
[vi] FUTPRO, Comunicado Oficial [Official Statement], (Sep. 13, 2023), https://futpro.es/2023/09/13/las-jugadoras-de-la-liga-f-desconvocan-la-huelga-tras-llegar-a-un-acuerdo-con-la-patronal/
[vii] Id.
[viii] Id.
[ix] La Asociación de Futbolistas Españoles, Comunicado Oficial Sep. 1, 2023, https://www.afe-futbol.com/futbol-femenino/las-futbolistas-de-la-liga-f-convocan-dos-jornadas-de-huelga/
