Sackings key to ending Peru strike
LIMA, Peru, (Reuters) -- Peru's footballers say they will not call off their three-week-old strike until Alianza Atletico reinstate five players sacked for refusing to play.
The players claimed they were owed $800,000 in unpaid wages and bonuses.
Players' Union president Francisco Manassero said agreement has been reached over the outstanding money and the Alianza sackings are the last point of contention.
Alianza have said they will reinstate the players if the Peru league declares void matches played during the strike, in which the club fielded under-20 teams.
"If they declare void the matches played with youth teams, we can reinstate the players, this will remove an obstacle from the negotiations," Manassero said. "The rest is almost solved."
The decision to carry on with the championship using youth teams has angered the public and created further difficulties.
Defending champions Sporting Cristal on Sunday threatened to pull out of the championship altogether if a solution was not found.
Peru is the third South American country hit by a national strike in the last two years after Chile and Argentina.
