England Women: The Lionesses want to hold bonus talks with the FA before the opening of the Women’s Nations League | football news

England Women are keen to sit down with the FA hierarchy to discuss their ongoing dispute over wages and bonuses before the team meet in Nations League matches in a week’s time.

The rift has dominated World Cup preparations in Australia and New Zealand. On the eve of the team traveling to participate in the tournament, a row broke out, with the players feeling “disappointed” with the bonuses they were due to be paid by the FA as they progressed through the competition.

However, the players announced in a statement that they would put aside their differences for the duration of the tournament.

Sky Sports News He has been told that frustration within the team remains as they prepare to meet again, with the two sides no closer to reaching a resolution.

There is no indication that the players will strike, or that they will look to reduce their media and commercial duties while on duty at the FA.

However, those more extreme measures have been discussed in the recent past.

Players insist they should be rewarded for their achievements directly from the FA’s coffers, rather than just the FIFA bonuses that were put in place before the World Cup.

“We are disappointed that a solution has not been found yet,” the team said in a statement in July before the start of the World Cup.

“We view the successful conclusion of these discussions, through player input and a transparent long-term plan, as fundamental to the growth of women’s football in England.”

What was the dispute about?

FIFA changed the World Cup rules to try to ensure that all players in the tournament, whatever their country, earn the same as their competitors who reach the same stage of the competition.

This means that bonuses are set for each round, with all players receiving £24,000 if they are eliminated at the group stage, and £213,000 if they win the World Cup.

In the past, because prize money was paid directly to individual federations, that country had the right to decide how much players would receive from the prize fund. This is no longer the case.

However, players felt aggrieved that the FA was unwilling to fund additional bonuses themselves, instead letting FIFA foot the bill.

The inaugural Women’s Nations League, Olympic qualifier and WSL are all being broadcast on Sky Sports – and we’re looking forward to what’s next for England Women…

Women’s Nations League and qualification for the Olympics

The first edition of the Women’s Nations League kicks off on Thursday 21 September, with England taking on Scotland, the Netherlands and Belgium in League One Group A1.

The first stage of the tournament takes place between September and December. Scotland are England’s first opponents on Friday, September 22, followed by Wegman’s former club Netherlands on Tuesday, September 26, ahead of the Champions League football season.

This year’s Olympic qualifiers are up for grabs, with the two UEFA Nations League finalists joining 2024 hosts France to represent Europe.

The outcome of the tournament will also help decide which group England will be in for the Euro 2025 and 2027 World Cup qualifiers.

With so much at stake, England will need to turn World Cup disappointment into focus in less than six weeks.

Players also undergo pre-season training in the WSL, F-Liga and Frauen-Bundesliga before then.

Women’s Super League

20 players from England’s 23-man World Cup squad will compete in the Women’s Super League, with 15 players from the top four clubs Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United.

The WSL begins on Sunday 1 October with six matches, including defending champions Chelsea v Tottenham live on Sky Sports at 5.30pm.

Some WSL teams have already begun their pre-season training, and England players are expected to return to their squads in the next two weeks, before regrouping for the UEFA Nations League.

After the Lionesses won the European Championship last year, ticket sales broke records across the WSL, and many will be hoping this summer’s World Cup campaign will attract more eyes to the league.

How to follow the WSL Championship on Sky Sports digital platforms

Follow all the latest news from the Women’s Super League across the SkySports.com website and app, including exclusive features and interviews, plus dedicated live blog coverage and in-game clips from live matches on Sky Sports.

You can also watch free match highlights from every WSL match this season on Sky Sports’ digital platforms and YouTube channel, while all matches will continue to be shown on both Sky Sports Football, as well as on Sky Showcase, available in all Sky homes, even without the Sky Sports package. , giving competition greater visibility.

Alongside coverage and visibility of the league across all of Sky Sports’ major social media channels, the @SkySportsWSL Twitter channel will remain the home for all Barclays FA WSL content on Sky Sports.

The Sky Sports WSL TikTok account gives fans 360-degree coverage of the league and gives them exclusive access to their new favorite players. Through fun challenges and interviews, along with behind-the-scenes footage, viewers will get to know the WSL’s cast of personalities and see the sport from a new range of angles.

Meanwhile, fans can also keep up with everything on and off the field with the return of the Three Players and the podcast, hosted by Caroline Parker.

Key dates for the 2023/24 season

• Barclays Women’s Premier League opening weekend: Sunday 1 October
• Barclays Women’s Championship opening weekend: August 26 – August 27
• Women’s Continental League Cup Final: March 30/31
• Barclays Women’s Championship Final Weekend: Sunday 28 April
• Women’s FA Cup Final: 11/12 May
• Barclays Women’s Premier League Final Weekend: Sunday 18 May