• La Liga

No Real rest ahead of Spurs as Liga strike is cancelled

ESPN staff
March 30, 2011
Fixtures in Spain's top division will go ahead as planned this weekend © Getty Images
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La Liga will go ahead as planned this weekend after a Madrid court ruled in favour of the clubs seeking to call off a strike.

The Liga Nacional de Futbol Profesional (LFP) had suspended the fixtures in the Primera Division this weekend due to a row over television rights to games, with a majority of clubs unhappy with the law that states that one match per round of fixtures must be shown on free-to-air television.

Those clubs had been eager to maximise revenue from pay TV channels, and had hoped that a strike would pressurise the Spanish government into changing the law.

However, six clubs - Athletic Bilbao, Real Sociedad, Real Zaragoza, Espanyol, Sevilla and Villarreal - had appealed against the proposed strike action and, on Wednesday morning, a court ruled in their favour.

The decision means Real Madrid will not enjoy a weekend without a game before the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final with Tottenham.

A statement from the court read: "The court decides the official calendar for the first and second divisions should remain unaltered for the next round of matches."

Judge Purificacion Pujol added: "The league calendar cannot be changed."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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