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Liga MX referees are going on strike this weekend in protest over recent Liga MX decisions regarding player suspensions. The development came minutes before Veracruz and Puebla were set to kick off Week 10 of the Clausura 2017.
Comunicado de la Federación Mexicana de Fútbol y LIGA MX: https://t.co/AWSfqUdEGA pic.twitter.com/2ubF9APsYy
— LIGA Bancomer MX (@LIGABancomerMX) March 11, 2017
Earlier in the day, the league announced that Club America center-back Pablo Aguilar and Toluca forward Enrique Triverio had received 10 game and 8 game bans respectively for incidents involving physical spats with the officials. The Mexican Association of Referees felt the punishments weren’t enough, however, prompting Liga MX refs to call a strike amid the start of the fútbol weekend.
La Asociación Mexicana de Árbitros no se hará presente en la #Jornada10 de #LigaMX , luchando por el #Respeto dentro del Terreno de Juego
— AMA Árbitros (@AMArbitros) March 11, 2017
Though the suspensions can be seen as one of the main triggers for the strike, it is widely believed that a large group of Liga MX refs have long-felt isolated by their Liga MX superiors. In particular, they are asking for more respect inside the playing field.
Of course, this sort of grassroots initiative is unprecedented in Liga MX, and how long the strike will last remains to be seen.
What do you think? Good or bad the referees are standing up for themselves?