LaLiga and AFE Set for Court Hearing Over Players’ Protest

LaLiga and the Spanish Footballers’ Association (AFE) are scheduled to go to court on March 25 following a complaint filed by LaLiga, which deems the players’ protest in October against relocating the Villarreal-Barcelona match to Miami as an illegal strike. The case will be adjudicated by the Social Chamber of the National Court after both parties failed to reach an agreement during a mediation session held on December 16 at the Interconfederal Mediation and Arbitration Service (SIMA).

LaLiga has lodged a complaint against the strikes organized by the union and executed by players at the onset of matches in the ninth round of LaLiga EA Sports, arguing that these actions constitute an illegal strike with the associated legal ramifications.

As part of their protest, players, including those from the teams involved, staged a 15-second pause at the beginning of each match during that round, following the kickoff, to express their discontent with LaLiga’s management of the match relocation to Miami, originally scheduled for December.

The union opposed the transfer of the match without consensus from all parties involved and called for the establishment of a negotiation table consisting of all stakeholders.

On October 21, LaLiga announced the cancellation of the match due to the promoter, Relevent, deciding against it amid uncertainty in Spain regarding the event. LaLiga defended the initiative as fully compliant with regulatory requirements. This marks the second instance where LaLiga’s efforts to host a match in the United States have been halted and brought before the courts.

In 2020, LaLiga and the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) faced legal action over the federation’s refusal to allow the Girona-Barcelona match to be played in the United States during the 2018-2019 season. This litigation was initially resolved against LaLiga by a commercial court in Madrid, subsequently upheld by the Provincial Court and later by the Supreme Court.

In March 2020, the Madrid Commercial Court No. 12 ruled against LaLiga’s request, and its appeal was later rejected by the Provincial Court in December 2021 and by the Supreme Court in September 2024.