Fighting for 権利s, Spain women 目的（とする） for 目印 tournament

By Associated 圧力（をかける）

Published: | Updated:

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) - The Spanish women's 国家の team is hoping a strong 業績／成果 at the World Cup will give the sport a 上げる just at the moment that players are fighting for their 権利s as professional 競技者s.

Women's サッカー has experienced 大規模な growth since the 2015 World Cup, when Spain made its first 外見 in the tournament. Almost unimaginable four years earlier, the nation's 国内の league now has the 支援 of a major 法人組織の／企業の sponsor in energy company Iberdrola, and a total of 8 million テレビ視聴者s tuned in to watch the women's games during the 2018-19 season.

The quantum leap in 財政／金融ing and （危険などに）さらす has led to more fans turning out at stadiums にもかかわらず 競争 from the men's game, which features 星／主役にするs like Lionel Messi and Gareth Bale.

More than 60,000 people packed Atletico Madrid's Wanda Metropolitano Stadium on March 17 to watch as the home team lost 2-0 to Barcelona in what the league says was a 記録，記録的な／記録する for the highest 出席 at a women's club サッカー match. Another 41,000 …に出席するd an Atletico game at 運動競技の Bilbao in January, while the Copa de la Reina final last month between Atletico and Real Sociedad drew 1.6 million TV テレビ視聴者s.

"Going out there, 審理，公聴会 the （人が）群がる 詠唱する your 指名する and seeing the stadium 十分な was incredible, it is something I will never forget," Atletico and Spain midfielder Silvia Meseguer said about that match against Barcelona.

But, she 追加するd: "That is not the reality. It only happens once in a while and we have to fight so that that becomes normal. The challenge is that each Sunday more and more people come out, and for us to do what is necessary to 確実にする that 条件s (for players) are the same on all the teams in the league and that we all work so that the sport is truly professional."

In this Tuesday, May 28, 2019, photo, Spain's women national soccer team train in Las Rozas, on the outskirts of Madrid, Spain. Spain's women players are hoping that a strong performance at the World Cup this month will give their sport a boost just at the moment when they are fighting for their basic rights as professional athletes. Women's soccer has experienced massive growth since the 2015 World Cup. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

In this Tuesday, May 28, 2019, photo, Spain's women 国家の サッカー team train in Las Rozas, on the 郊外s of Madrid, Spain. Spain's women players are hoping that a strong 業績／成果 at the World Cup this month will give their sport a 上げる just at the moment when they are fighting for their basic 権利s as professional 競技者s. Women's サッカー has experienced 大規模な growth since the 2015 World Cup. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

While Atletico can 雇う 最高の，を越す 地元の talent and Barcelona 誘惑するs in foreign 星／主役にするs like Dutch 今後 Lieke Martens, FIFA's player of the year in 2017, women in Spain are struggling to get a 保証（人）d 最小限 salary for all 16 first-分割 clubs. Male players in Spain's 最高の，を越す 分割 are 確実にする d at least 155,000 euros ($176,000) a season. The numbers 存在 discussed by the players' 協会 and the women's clubs are いっそう少なく than one-fifth of the men's basic 行う.

平等に as important, the women are 需要・要求するing maternity leave.

交渉s between the players' 協会 and the clubs have been dragging on for months. The players have even 脅すd to 延期する the start of next season if a 取引，協定 is not reached.

"We want all women players to have 類似の amenities, 医療の services, 施設s, 医療の 保険 ... the basic things that we need. We are not asking for something out of this world," said Meseguer, who took a break from the 国家の team last year to finish her degree in 薬／医学.

"I hope my 事例／患者 serves to show others that they can have other 追跡s in life. サッカー is short-lived and we have to have somewhere to go," she said.

Spain 今後 Mariona Caldentey helped Barcelona become the first Spanish club to reach the 支持する／優勝者s League final this year. But she also remembers how it was playing for a club that doesn't have the 予算 of a Barcelona.

"I have experienced the other 味方する of this with a more modest club, having to travel by bus and not having fitness trainers," Caldentey said.

There are other problems 直面するing women's サッカー in Spain.

The game has been caught in the 力／強力にする struggle between the Spanish football 連合, which 公式に runs the women's 競争, and the men's La Liga, which has taken an important （a）忠告の／（n）警報 役割 for women's clubs and 含むs （警察などへの）密告，告訴（状） on the women's league on its website.

At the 中心 is a 戦う／戦い over television 権利s. Pedro Malabia, women's サッカー director for la Liga, said a group of clubs with women's teams had reached a TV を取り引きする Mediapro 価値（がある） 3 million euros per season for three years.

The 連合, however, says it does not 認める that 取引，協定 since it, not the club 協会, is the 権利s 支えるもの／所有者. The 連合 also says Atletico and Barcelona are not の中で the clubs that want the Mediapro 取引，協定.

The clubs 提携させるd with the league, 一方／合間, 最初 妨げるd at a new 計画（する） for the women's 競争s 現在のd by the 連合, which now says that all parties are trying to settle their differences.

Another 行方不明の piece is the richest club in the world. Unlike Atletico and Barcelona, which are 投資するing in their women's teams, powerhouse Real Madrid is still one of the few 最高の，を越す European clubs to not have one.

But Spain's players are eager to take advantage of the 適切な時期 that the World Cup 申し込む／申し出s to 勝利，勝つ over the wider sports audience in サッカー-crazed Spain.

Spain won all eight of its games in qualifying, led by 最高の，を越す scorer Jennifer Hermoso and her seven goals. Spain was scheduled to 直面する South Africa in its World Cup opener Saturday. It will also 直面する Germany, the world's second-階級d team, and 中国 in Group B.

"We are the 特権d ones, we are going to fight and do all we can so that this keeps growing," Caldentey said. "We want this World Cup to 示す a turning point and for people to like women's football. And if they don't, then at least it's because they tuned in."

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More AP サッカー: https://apnews.com/Womenssoccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

In this Tuesday, May 28, 2019, photo, Spain's women 国家の サッカー team train in Las Rozas, on the 郊外s of Madrid, Spain. Spain's women players are hoping that a strong 業績／成果 at the World Cup this month will give their sport a 上げる just at the moment when they are fighting for their basic 権利s as professional 競技者s. Women's サッカー has experienced 大規模な growth since the 2015 World Cup. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

In this Tuesday, May 28, 2019 photo, Spain's women national soccer team train in Las Rozas, on the outskirts of Madrid, Spain. Spain's women players are hoping that a strong performance at the World Cup this month will give their sport a boost just at the moment when they are fighting for their basic rights as professional athletes. Women's soccer has experienced massive growth since the 2015 World Cup. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

In this Tuesday, May 28, 2019 photo, Spain's women 国家の サッカー team train in Las Rozas, on the 郊外s of Madrid, Spain. Spain's women players are hoping that a strong 業績／成果 at the World Cup this month will give their sport a 上げる just at the moment when they are fighting for their basic 権利s as professional 競技者s. Women's サッカー has experienced 大規模な growth since the 2015 World Cup. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

In this Tuesday, May 28, 2019 photo, Spain's women national soccer team train in Las Rozas, outskirts Madrid, Spain. Spain's women players are hoping that a strong performance at the World Cup this month will give their sport a boost just at the moment when they are fighting for their basic rights as professional athletes. Women's soccer has experienced massive growth since the 2015 World Cup. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

In this Tuesday, May 28, 2019 photo, Spain's women 国家の サッカー team train in Las Rozas, 郊外s Madrid, Spain. Spain's women players are hoping that a strong 業績／成果 at the World Cup this month will give their sport a 上げる just at the moment when they are fighting for their basic 権利s as professional 競技者s. Women's サッカー has experienced 大規模な growth since the 2015 World Cup. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

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