Amendment to “Beckham Law” might cause La Liga to go on strike

Liga de Fútbol Profesional is threatening to strike over a tax hike for top earners, arguing the increase will in future discourage leading players from coming to La Liga.

The government’s measure will raise taxes for foreigners who arrive from 2010 onwards and earn above 600,000 euros a year to 43 percent from the previous rate 24 percent thus amending the so-called “Beckham Law,” named after the player himself, which was approved in 2002 to make hiring foreign high-earners easier and Spain more attractive to the specially qualified or skilled. This measure though, which will be implemented on January 1 2010, will not affect players already in Spain such as Real’s Ronaldo and Kaka or Barcelona’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Lionel Messi.

LFP president Jose Luis Astiazaran told TV channel Telecinco on Wednesday the league would meet on Friday to decide what measures to adopt, with a strike among the options. He said:

This is a special tax regime which has allowed star players to join our league which benefits both the fans and the public coffers.

The ruling Socialist party’s spokesman in parliament, Jose Antonio Alonso, said the change in the law was simply an attempt to level the playing field in difficult times. He said:

(This is) an exercise in tax justice, aimed at promoting tax equality at a time of serious economic crisis. Foreign footballers… have to pay their taxes just like everyone else.

Para Siempre Blanco!!

Hala Madrid!!