Football clubs from the top two divisions in Spain have postponed talk of a strike and given the country’s government a few more days to make progress on a law over collective media-rights sales.
Javier Tebas, the president of the Spanish Football League (LFP), said that clubs had decided to give the government between 10 and 12 days more leeway. Clubs, many of whom have expressed frustration at the lack of progress on the proposed new legislation, met at an LFP extraordinary general assembly in Barcelona yesterday (Wednesday).
“There needs to be a (law) that regulates the sale of television rights,” Tebas said. “Without it, the reality is that Spanish football will drop to fifth or sixth in the European ranking.”
Several clubs have previously raised the prospect of a work stoppage if the law is not introduced as soon as possible.
Miguel Cardenal, president of the government’s sports council (CSD), was quoted as saying on Tuesday: “We are working on it. It is what the sector wants. It is a complex regulation. In addition, there are a lot of interested parties who want to have their say. We have not put the issue on ice and we are working on it.”
The LFP, the CSD and the RFEF, football’s governing body in Spain, are due to meet later today to discuss the matter further.