The first round of the Spain's new professional women's football league was postponed after the referees called a strike â but the players were still made to walk out for their matches.The Liga F referees, who are demanding professional status and payment in line with the La Liga, have been on strike since September 8th.âThe referees want to provide the best possible service to football and that necessarily means having minimum working conditions comparable to those of the refereeing establishment of the menâs professional competition,â a statement said.It was added that the referees would not officiate any top-division fixtures âunder the present working and economic conditionsâ.The Professional Women's Football League (LPFF), which oversees Liga F, declared they would ânot accept blackmailâ.The LPFF also announced that matches would still go ahead as normal over the weekend.âIn case the referees and assistants do not appear, the LPFF will proceed to file the corresponding complaints,â it said.This resulted in a number of bizarre scenes across Spain, with teams walking out for matches they knew would eventually be postponed.Fans and media were also present at the matches, which were then called off 30 minutes after the scheduled kick-off time âdue to the non-appearance of the referee teamâ.
Video: Watch Barcelona Femenà walk out for a match they know will be postponed
Barcelona were set to play Levante Las Planas, with new signings Lucy Bronze and Keira Walsh among the players walking out onto the pitch for no reason.
Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid were also supposed to be in action.
Former Liverpool star Rinsola Babajide, who now plays for Real Betis, complained of a nine hour coach journey back to Sevilla from Valencia after her game was called off.
What is Liga F?
Liga F, which officially launched last week, is the first first female competition in Spain to obtain professional status.
The league replaces the Primera Division, which was run by the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).
DAZN acquired the broadcasting rights to Liga F as part of a five-year deal, but the start of the new league has been overshadowed by a number of disputes between the RFEF and LPFF, including the refereesâ strike.
"In the context of a new professional competition, we believe that womenâs officiating must have minimum conditions for the exercise of our activity within the professional competition,'' the refereesâ statement said.
âIt is not conceivable that the refereeing establishment is the only one that remains on the sidelines of a growth that we consider to be just as necessary.â
According to ESPNâs Samuel Marsden, Liga F have called for talks with the referees today, without RFEF intervention.