The 'traps' in LaLigaF to save on payroll thanks to the new agreement: "I have to find a way to balance my studies."

Aurora (not her real name) has been a starter for a LaLiga F club after being promoted from the reserve team due to injuries to her teammates. The youngster, still of school age, began last season training with the first team and ended it with many matches in the starting eleven, but her salary and conditions are far from those of most of her teammates. "I have to find a way to balance my studies with training and travel," she tells EL MUNDO.

According to the old agreement for LaLiga F women's footballers, after completing 12 first-team caps or 10 matches, players would have to be given a professional contract. However, Aurora fell just short of that threshold, and now, according to the new women's football agreement, which came into effect in April, her contract resets to zero, as that number is set per season, not the total. "It's not fair that a 13- or 14-year-old child has a residence permit, money... and you don't know if they'll get it, and I don't get it. Because we generate money from ticket sales, the child receives nothing," she adds.

This is one of the disagreements that divided women's football when it came to agreeing on the new agreement, which, in the opinion of non-signatories, "equalizes professional female footballers with First Division RFEF players." AFE and UGT described the document as a "step backwards" because it "does not improve on the previous agreement nor reduce the gap with respect to the men's agreement." FUTPRO, Futbolistas ON, and CCOO, on the other hand, did sign what they consider a "brilliant text regarding social issues."

Beyond including benefits regarding harassment, maternity leave, and work-life balance, which all unions logically support—although AFE has explained that they are largely guaranteed by the reform of Royal Decree 1006/85—there are points that, according to the union, are detrimental to 30% of footballers.

The transition from reserve team to first team affects 80 of the 350 players in the First Division, although FUTPRO assures that not all players want to return to the previous status quo since "with television, there is greater promotion for them, which allows them to sign for another club more easily." Meanwhile, AFE speaks of "a strategy by clubs to save on wages."

A salary, by the way, that is comparable to that of players in the third tier of Spanish football, who do not have professional status. While the minimum salary in the First RFEF is €30,000, the Liga F minimum is €22,500 for this season and €23,500 for the next, amounts that could increase if the competition's profits increase. This agreement was reached in 2023 following a strike by the players.

Antique

Another point of contention is the Seniority Bonus, previously known as the Seniority Award. This amount is awarded to players who have been with the same club for more than three years and amounts to 800 euros. Under the previous agreement, the bonus was 2,000 euros for six or more seasons. The worst part is that, with the change, the years prior to those three are no longer recognized, and the players who had earned them lose them. "There have been many disagreements over compensation; they've tried to embellish and rename concepts, but there have been no real changes," one of those affected told this newspaper.

Futpro explains that very few women lose this right and that most players don't spend more than "three or four years" at the same club. They also argue that it's more feasible to reach three years than the six stipulated in the previous text for women's football.

Female footballers are aware of the income gap between men's and women's football, but AFE (Federal Association of Professional Football Associations) is demanding better treatment, especially from the Ministry led by Yolanda Díaz, whose statements have consistently emphasized the importance of gender equality in all spheres of society, including sports. "I've noticed the precariousness in terms of salaries, and now that we have a solid agreement (the first one), we're moving to another that doesn't improve much. We've evolved from a prefabricated house to one that's the same, but decorated," notes one veteran player.