Will the referees’ strike in Spain’s new Liga F create tension with players?

Welcome to Moving the Goalposts, the Guardian’s new (and free) women’s football newsletter. Here’s an extract from this week’s edition. To receive the full version once a week, just pop your email in below:

It was supposed to be a fresh and shiny start to women’s football in Spain. The new professional league, Liga F, had been formed to ensure the sport can reach the next level in a country that saw record crowds in the Champions League last season.

And then it all fell flat. The referees went on strike, demanding remuneration that were closer to the ones for officiating in La Liga, the men’s top flight. The first weekend of games was postponed and frantic negotiations followed to see what, if any, compromise could be found.

Last Thursday there was a resolution. The officials got an increase in fees – with referees set to earn €25,000 (£21,900) and assistants €16,000 a season in a new six-year deal. They had wanted much more but at least a deal had been struck and the league could start, which it did at the weekend, the reigning champions Barcelona kicking off with a 2-0 win over Tenerife.

It was a sad way to begin the new season but female officials – or officials in female leagues – are often criticised for not being good enough so that it is important that they have the right conditions to improve in and do their job properly.

Some clubs and players publicly supported the referees in their fight for basic rights but some also said they would have preferred to find a solution without disturbing the grand opening. And once the games got under way the issue seemed to be too raw for some to forget. After the game between Alavés and Madrid CFF, the referee Patricia Luna wrote in her report that one of the home players,