The world of women’s soccer is facing a stark reality, with a staggering 80% of female footballers holding part-time contracts, often without official registration, and earning an average annual salary of less than €17,000. This alarming trend is highlighted in the study “La radiografía de la mujer futbolista” published by the Asociación de Futbolistas Españoles (AFE). The report sheds light on the fact that only clubs in the Liga F are required to offer full-time contracts to their players, whereas in men’s football, this obligation extends to the top three divisions. This disparity perpetuates a situation of precarity and vulnerability for many female footballers.
The study also criticizes the new collective bargaining agreement for women’s football, which has been challenged by the AFE before the Ministry of Labor. The agreement allegedly leaves players from reserve teams who have played for the first team in a precarious situation, with around 20% of them facing uncertain futures until they meet specific criteria again. Furthermore, the report emphasizes the significant salary gap between women’s and men’s football, as well as within women’s football itself. Although the minimum salary in the Liga F is set at €22,500 per year, the average salary across all categories is significantly lower, at around €17,000.
Salary Gap with Men’s Football and Within Women’s Football
The absence of a collective bargaining agreement that covers other professional categories creates a significant inequality, resulting in a salary gap not only with male colleagues, who earn a minimum of €190,000 in the First Division and €95,500 in the Second Division, but also among female players themselves. Women in the First Division earn, on average, 88% less than their male counterparts in the same category and 76% less than those in the Second Division.
The AFE insists that the current collective agreement represents a step backward in areas such as the “Premio de antigüedad” (a bonus for longevity), which was included in the previous agreement but has been removed. This bonus, which was €800 for each consecutive season completed after the third, is no longer applicable, leaving players who have accumulated seniority in recent years without this right. Another discriminatory aspect is the creation of the calendar, which is unilaterally decided by the employer in women’s football, without representation from the players, unlike in men’s football, where the calendar is negotiated between LaLiga, the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), and the AFE.
Equal Distribution of Quiniela Revenue Could Bring €10 Million per Season to Women’s Football
The AFE study also examines the economic distribution of the Quiniela, a popular betting pool in Spain. Although the 2022 Sports Law included the Liga F as a recipient of revenue, with a 45.5% share alongside the men’s competition, the exact distribution between the two is not specified. If the distribution were equitable, women’s football could receive at least €10 million per season if women’s matches were included in the Quiniela. The current exclusion perpetuates inequality in Spanish sports and represents a missed opportunity for the government to strengthen the sustainability of women’s football.
Other significant challenges facing women’s football include low social security contributions due to part-time contracts, short careers due to lack of stability and economic projection, labor incapacities without guarantees in case of injury, and labor instability that leads many female players to renounce motherhood. These issues highlight the need for continued efforts to address the disparities and inequalities that persist in women’s football.
