© rcdmallorca.es
RCD Mallorca coach unsuprised by Spanish footballers strike
The first matches of the season in Spain's football league, La Liga, have been postponed due to an ongoing dispute between the clubs and the players over players wages. The season had been due to start last weekend and it is not yet clear whether the second matches over next weekend will be affected.
The dispute lies in the nature of the financing of the football clubs in the first and second divisions. Unlike the English Football League, Spanish clubs negotiate their own TV deals, which results in the top teams gaining the lion's share of the revenue. Most clubs in La Liga do not receive enough income to cover their costs and as a result, often go into administration. The clubs are then under no obligation to pay their players. The players now want their wages protected even if the club goes bankrupt.
Mallorca's football club, RCD Mallorca, sought voluntary administration back in 2010, and some of it's players are still owed wages from that period. It is unlikely that they will be reimbursed until 2013.
RCD Mallorca's coach, Michael Laudrup - a former international himself - has stated his support for the players, saying that the problems of funding in the Spanish league need to be addressed. With over 200 players being owed money, Laudrup said that it is no wonder that the players have had enough.
