Judge Gary Klausner of the United States District Court for Central California in Los Angeles dismissed the claim of the world footballers on Friday. The latter believe that they are victims of wage discrimination compared to American footballers.

They are not used to losing, but the players of the United States football team, double defending world champions, felt the bitter taste of defeat in their quest for equal pay with the team on Friday. masculine.

Their request was dismissed Friday, in a summary judgment, by judge Gary Klausner of the District court of the United States for central California in Los Angeles, which rejected the main argument of wage discrimination of the plaintiffs. He referred the grievances of the complainants on unequal treatment in accommodation, travel and other areas to a later judgment. A trial is scheduled to begin on June 16.

A 32-page decision

Meanwhile, in terms of the main part of the case, it is a very heavy blow taken by the players of the national team, including the star of the team and feminist activist Megan Rapinoe, who fought for their cause for several years. The latter reacted on Twitter, with a single sentence expressing their determination: "We will never stop fighting for EQUALITY". Their spokesman Molly Levinson said in a statement that the American players were going to "appeal".

In his 32-page decision, the judge explained that the complainants had refused, on an unspecified date, an agreement that would have allowed them to be paid fairly with the players of the national men's team.

$ 66 million claimed

"The history of negotiations between the parties shows that the women's team rejected a proposal to be paid on the same salary basis as the men's team, and that it gave up higher bonuses as advantages, among which higher basic remuneration and the guarantee of a larger number of players under contract ", he established.

"Consequently, the complainants cannot now retroactively consider that their collective agreement is worse than that of the men's team, by referring to the conditions of remuneration which they themselves have rejected," concluded the judge. The players of the American team, winners of four of the eight Women's World Cups, including the last two in 2015 and 2019, were claiming $ 66 million in back wages, under the law of equal remuneration and the Civil Rights Act.

They had established this amount based on the disparities between the bonuses distributed by Fifa during the Men's and Women's World Cups. In 2014, the Germans won $ 35 million for their coronation in Brazil, while the French won $ 38 million after triumphing in Russia in 2018. The 2015 and 2019 world champions collected a total of $ 6 million over two tournaments, 12 times less.

"Shocked and disappointed"

"We are shocked and disappointed with today's decision, but we will not give up our hard work for equal pay," said their spokesman. "We have confidence in our record and are firm in our commitment to ensure that girls and women who practice this sport are not considered less important simply because of their gender," added Molly Levinson.

Initiated in March 2019, the legal action took a particularly acrimonious turn two months ago, when a file filed by lawyers of the federation made the argument that playing in the men's national team required a level higher skill, expressed in speed and strength, and assumed greater responsibility.

Resignation of the President of the American Football Federation

These words had aroused immediate and widespread indignation on the part of the players, including Megan Rapinoe who had accused her Federation of "blatant sexism" in the files of the complainants, managers and sponsors such as Coca-Cola. The president of the Federation Carlos Cordeiro had been forced to resign and was replaced by the vice-president Cindy Parlow Cone, former international player who had immediately withdrawn the annoying argument, in order to calm the situation.

"We are eager to work with the national women's team to move forward in a positive way. We are determined to continue this work to ensure that our selection remains the best in the world," replied the leader, anxious to avoid the trial of the June 16.