The referees from League F have reached an agreement to return to their duties this weekend after a government intervention ended the standing strike. Public funds are involved to help bridge the gap between the referees’ salary expectations and the offers presented by clubs, with an initial contribution of one million euros coming from state resources.
As reported by the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and supported by other stakeholders, the Supreme Sport Council (CSD) will add an extra 350,000 euros each year for the first three seasons, all within a six season framework. This amount will be placed into a dedicated investment fund managed by referees for use at the end of their professional careers when they retire or move on from active officiating.
In parallel, the RFEF will provide the same annual 350,000 euro contribution to the LPFF for three years. The funds will be directed to cover arbitration costs within the competition and to assist clubs in managing disputes arising during the season. The overall increase in the designated fund mirrors the contribution from the CSD, helping to share the burden of arbitration payments for the first three seasons.
Franco and Rubiales
The agreement was reached after cautious discussions and while the government and the RFEF worked to resolve the situation on Wednesday. Insiders note the pivotal role played by CSD president Jose Manuel Franco in clearing up confusion after three rounds of talks between Monday and Tuesday failed to yield results.
Luis Rubiales, head of the RFEF, attended the talks in person on Wednesday, with the two institutions passing the earlier deliberations to their respective working teams for final review and signoff.
CSD and RFEF sign historic deal to professionalize women refereeing
Jose Manuel Franco, Luis Rubiales, Yolanda Parga and Marta Frías Acedo oversaw the signing at the CSD offices. The event was publicly described as a landmark for the governance of women officiating and the broader structure of refereeing in the league.
Final salary and funding details
The plan sets a final referees’ salary at around 25,000 euros gross with 16,000 participants, alongside the additional 350,000 euros to be distributed across referees, assistant officials, fourth officials, and observers. The package also contemplates an expanded mutual fund as the referees transition away from active duty in the field.
With these measures in place, the strike effect is contained to the first day of the F League and the two Copa de la Reina matches scheduled for this week, both featuring teams from the top tier. The inaugural season of the women’s professional league appears positioned to begin in tandem with these arrangements, signaling a new era for officiating in the competition.