Ecuador's players strike over $20 million salary backlog

Of the 24 clubs in the first and second divisions, 18 are in debt to their players over unpaid salaries this year, a players' union director said.

"From today (Thursday) we have decided to stop our activities," Edwin Tenorio, vice-president of the Ecuador Footballers' Association (AFE), told Reuters.

"We are making use of a right to refuse (to work) in view of the fact that our rights are being violated."

"The players are owed around $20 million, this would be for the year 2015."

The strike action, which could affect the weekend's league programme, was called after the Ecuadorean Football Federation (FEF) decided against sanctioning indebted clubs despite these being repeatedly denounced by the union.

The FEF, reacting to the strike call, said in a statement that "rather than solving the existing problems, it aggravates them more," and added that the weekend matches would go ahead as scheduled.

Ecuador has 12 clubs in each of its top two divisions, known as Serie A and B.

They enter teams in the two South American club competitions including the elite Libertadores Cup which one of the leading clubs, LDU Quito, won in 2008 for the country's first major international title before winning the Copa Sudamericana in 2009.

Historically one of the weaker members of the 10-nation South American Confederation, Ecuador's national team have made a perfect start to the 2018 World Cup qualifiers and lead the group with 12 points from four matches after starting with a 2-0 away win over heavyweights Argentina.

Ecuador are looking to qualify for the final, to be played in Russia, for the fourth time since 2002.