Spain’s women’s players maintain plan to strike after salary talks break down before season opener

By JOSEPH WILSON The Associated Press

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — The players for Spain’s women’s league maintain they’ll go on strike rather than start the new season after salary negotiations with the league broke down Thursday. The AFE players union says no deal had been reached. The players announced their plan to strike last week. The season was set to kick off Friday. The strike comes with Spain reeling from the consequences of the kiss by the president of its national soccer federation of a player without her consent after the Women’s World Cup final. Since then, the players for Spain’s women’s national team and several dozens more have said they won’t play for their country until the federation changes leadership.