Liga F: Spain's women's professional league has first matches cancelled

Atletico Madrid versus Real Sociedad on Saturday was one of the scheduled Liga F matches to be cancelled after the players took to the pitch but the officials did not

The first round of matches in Liga F, Spain's new women's professional football league, were cancelled after referees called a strike.

Four matches were to take place on Saturday with a further four on Sunday - but all the matches were called off.

Women referees are demanding professional status and payment in line with officials in the men's La Liga.

At the matches, players walked on to the pitch without any officials before the games were officially postponed.

The referees and assistant referees, who had announced a strike on Thursday, said the league (LPFF) had not addressed their concerns and they would not officiate any top-division fixtures "under the present working and economic conditions".

A statement added: "The 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 men's professional competition."

The LPFF responded by saying it would "not accept blackmail" and "that all teams would be on the pitch for their matches on Saturday and Sunday".

It added that if the officials did not appear the league would "proceed to file the corresponding complaints".

Barcelona, who won the Champions League in 2021, have won the Spanish league for the last three seasons.

Spain forward Mariona Caldentey is among the key players for Spanish champions Barcelona