Ancelotti set for emotional Napoli home debut against old club AC Milan
MADRID: The prospect of a player strike hangs over Spanish football heading into the second week of the season, as Barcelona and Real Madrid look to build on winning starts to the campaign.
La Liga bosses dropped a bombshell on the eve of the campaign when they announced their intention to stage top-flight matches in the United States, starting from this season.
However, a move announced as part of attempts to improve the Spanish league’s global popularity has this week been attacked by the country’s players union, AFE.
“Footballers are not for sale. We don’t only think about money,” said AFE president David Aganzo, once a striker on Madrid’s books.
The union say they hope to persuade league chiefs to change their minds at a meeting next month, with strike action promised if they do not get the outcome they are hoping for.
“We are worried for supporters. We see football in a different way. Going to the United States is madness,” Aganzo added.
The AFE have also said that match scheduling is a concern, with Valencia’s opening weekend draw with Atletico Madrid one of two games played on Monday night.
Matches that do not finish until
Fixtures (GMT) Friday Lyon v Strasbourg (1845) Saturday Paris Saint-Germain v Angers (1500), Amiens v Reims, Montpellier v Saint Etienne, Nantes v Caen, Nice v Dijon, Toulouse v Nimes (all 1800) Sunday Lille v Guingamp (1300), Bordeaux v Monaco (1500), Marseille v Rennes (1900)
after midnight are also a feature of the start of the new season, with champions Barcelona’s match at Valladolid one such game this weekend. - AFP