President Javier Tebas slams the players’ union, claiming the symbolic stoppage violated labor laws and threatens the league’s commercial stability.
The legal battle between LaLiga and its stars has reached a boiling point. The Spanish league has officially filed a lawsuit against the players who staged a symbolic 15-second stoppage during Matchday 9, a protest that LaLiga classifies as an “illegal strike.”
The demonstration was a direct response to the league’s controversial plan to move the Villarreal vs. Barcelona fixture to Miami. The players’ refusal to comply was a major factor in the eventual cancellation of the U.S. match, escalating tensions between the league’s front office and the AFE (Spanish Players’ Union).
Tebas: “Roll out the Red Carpet”
LaLiga President Javier Tebas has been vocal in his criticism, questioning whether freedom of expression justifies disrupting a professional broadcast.
“I want to know if interrupting a match for 15 seconds constitutes a violation of labor laws,” Tebas stated in an interview with Europa Press. He argued that any form of strike must be requested five days in advance to be legal.
Tebas also took a swipe at the union’s leadership, reminding them of the financial dynamics: “Our players’ union should roll out the red carpet for LaLiga. Roughly 70% of our audiovisual revenue goes directly into player salaries.”
AFE Defends “Freedom of Expression”
On the other side, AFE President David Aganzo maintains that the 15-second delay was a purely symbolic act that did not alter the competition’s outcome. The union argues that the protest falls under the right to freedom of speech, especially concerning the health and well-being of players facing an ever-expanding match calendar.
Before moving to the ordinary courts, LaLiga had already filed a complaint with the Interconfederal Mediation and Arbitration Service (SIMA), but no resolution was reached. The case now moves to a legal stage that could set a massive precedent for how player protests are handled in professional sports.
Gabriel Lucio is a football analyst covering La Liga, focusing on match analysis, tactical trends, and the race for domestic and European positions.
