Spanish federation suspends La Liga in TV row

The Spanish football federation has suspended all domestic competitions indefinitely from May 16 over a row with the government which includes issues with lucrative television rights.

The RFEF said in a statement on its official website that it is unhappy with the award of just 4.555% of the pools revenue from the Spanish government, but that it is open to discussions.

If the strike takes place, it means the Copa del Rey final between Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao on May 30 will be affected, as well as the final two rounds of Primera Division action.

There are just three games left to play in the Spanish top flight, with Barcelona leading rivals Real Madrid by two points at the summit in a tight title race.

A statement from the Spanish federations said: “The board of directors of the RFEF announce the indefinite suspension of all competitions from May 16.

“The association of Spanish footballers has informed us of its decision to call a strike the next dates of 16-17 of May and of an indefinite time.

“In the same way, representatives from the referees’ union and coaches as well as the federations in the sphere of autonomy, have told us they have no intention of participating in the competitions, which makes the dispute impossible to prevent.

“At the same time, and once more, we reiterate the offer of dialogue on behalf of the RFEF to the government of Spain.”