September 23, 2021 - 7:32 AM
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s anti-monopoly commission announced Thursday it has fined 17 soccer teams for conspiring to impose a cap on the salaries of women soccer players.
The commission said the teams will be fined about $9 million for illegal practices.
The clubs acted somewhat openly through the Mexican Soccer Federation, and the commission said the effect was “to deepen even further the salary gap between male and female soccer players.” Those named by the commission included Mexico’s top soccer teams.
The salary cap appears to have been in place since Mexico’s women’s soccer league was formed in 2016. The wage cap was apparently increased in 2018, and continued through 2019.
Another agreement between teams included limits on players’ ability to switch teams and get higher salaries.
News from © The Associated Press, 2021