MADRID, Spain -- A strike by Spanish soccer players forced the league to play its second round Sunday with junior and amateur players.
The league said the round would count as part of the season, but the obvious effects of what the press called 'decaffeinated soccer' were clear -- many near-empty stadiums and an enormous drop in the national soccer pool.
Players from the first and second divisions voted overwhelmingly to strike last week to demand payment of back wages and bonuses owed by some clubs and improved health and retirement benefits, as well as a special tax status for their earnings on grounds their careers are short.
The players' complaint was scheduled to be heard in labor court Monday in Madrid following the breakdown of negotiations between the players' union and the club owners Friday.
