England’s Lionesses reach agreement with Football Association over pay dispute
England captain Mille Bright says the Lionesses have resolved their dispute with the Football Association over pay and bonuses.
The row overshadowed the Lionesses’ prepartions for last month’s Women’s World Cupin Australia, where they reached the final.
“We’ve had a really good conversation with the FA,” Bright said today. “We have come to an agreement, but I think it’s bigger than just the bonus.
“For us it’s about being world leaders on and off the pitch, and as we know the women’s game is evolving very quickly and conversations like this need to happen in order to make sure in all areas we’re at the top of our game.
“The conversation was extremely positive and as players we feel really confident moving forward about the structure we now have in place.”
The dispute centred on whether England players would receive bonuses from the FA for their performance at the World Cup.
Governing body Fifa stipulated that all players would receive basic payments depending on how far they progressed at the tournament.
But the Lionesses felt that they should receive top-ups, as other teams including the USA and Australia did, in line with their status as torchbearers for the women’s game.