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New York Times
28-05-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Mexico's promotion, relegation battle: Clubs in suit allege federation retaliation
The attorneys for the second-division Mexican clubs that filed a claim in the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) last week against the Mexican Football Federation (FMF) and Liga MX remain committed to their fight to re-incorporate promotion and relegation next season, despite one Liga Expansión club dropping out of the battle. Advertisement Club Atlante, perhaps the most recognized Liga Expansión team along with Club Morelia, removed itself from the appeal process on Monday. That same day, Liga MX held its annual owners meeting in which the CAS claim was expected to be discussed. Several theories about Atlante's sudden retreat have added a new twist to what is expected to be a contentious litigation process. Complicating matters, despite the Liga Expansión clubs demanding that pro/rel be reinstated next season, FMF has since insisted the mechanism has remained attainable – via a series of criteria – ever since the federation technically halted the process during the COVID-19 pandemic. Attorney Eduardo Carlezzo, whose firm is representing the nine Liga Expansión clubs, also claims that FMF has responded to the suit by retaliating against those involved. 'The clubs are exhausted; they have reached the end of the tunnel,' Carlezzo told The Athletic in a statement on Wednesday. 'Mexican football urgently needs renovation to restore credibility, and last week's actions by the federation show exactly how they have behaved over the years. As soon as we submitted an appeal to CAS, the FMF withheld a monthly payment due to the clubs since 2020 as compensation for being unable to be promoted. This is pure revenge! These are significant sums that will impact some clubs' finances. We are now analyzing all legal actions available to us to fight against these threats.' On Wednesday, a separate statement reviewed by The Athletic cited conflicts of interest and a 'legal simulation' by the FMF and Liga MX officials, in addition to several chief concerns about the future of promotion and relegation in Mexico. Those concerns include the influence of multi-club ownership in Mexico and a tendency among Liga MX officials to favor a permanently closed system, similar to MLS. When pro/rel was paused in Mexico due to the pandemic, the FMF created a fund that would help Liga Expansión clubs financially. Advertisement 'The FMF General Assembly approved this temporary suspension to protect the economic stability of the clubs,' FMF's secretary general Íñigo Riestra said in response to the CAS claim. On May 21, the FMF said on its official X account that, 'Promotion remains active through certification. A club will be promoted once at least four clubs are certified at the start of the season and one of them wins the (Liga Expansión) Campeón de Campeones' match. The requirements that second-division clubs were expected to meet include sporting, infrastructure and administrative improvements that FMF would then review before granting promotion to Liga MX. That certification process is ambiguous, though, per the attorneys representing the nine Liga Expansión clubs. Coincidentally, Atlante's Estadio Ciudad de Deportes, which does not currently meet the federation's first-division requirements, was used as the home field for Club América during last week's Liga MX final vs. Toluca. América's home stadium, Estadio Azteca, is currently under renovation. 'The 'certification for promotion' argued by the FMF is nothing more than a legal simulation to disguise the fact that there is no real commitment to return promotion and relegation,' the statement reads in part. 'And it scares us that the FMF's Secretary General (Iñigo Riestra) comes out to defend a phantom procedure that has not even been applied this year.' Riestra countered last week by saying that 'half-truths' had been told and that it was important for the federation to tell its side of the story. 'The competition was suspended during the 2019-2020 season but it wasn't because of this agreement (with Liga Expansión), but rather because of the effects of the pandemic,' Riestra said in a video statement. 'It was the Liga Expansión clubs who requested financial support in order to avoid bankruptcy. … That's why on April 20 of 2020 the federation's general assembly authorized the temporary suspension of promotion and relegation for six seasons.' Advertisement The attorneys for the second-division clubs cite 'a concentration of power' within the hierarchy of the FMF and Liga MX that prevents those clubs from having any real influence over their futures. Liga MX president Mikel Arriola is also a presiding commissioner and executive president of the FMF. Arriola is also the current president of Liga Expansión. Riestra's brother José, is the former president of Club Atlas, which is owned by Grupo Orlegi, an organization that also owns Liga MX side Santos Laguna. José Riestra is now the head of football of Orlegi Sports, a division of Grupo Orlegi, and one of four multi-club ownership groups in Mexico. That, the nine clubs argue, is 'a conflict of interest that no one seems to question.' 'Multi-ownership is allowed despite being expressly prohibited by Article 5 of its bylaws,' Wednesday's statement reads. 'The FMF statute grants Liga MX the power to define the president of Liga Expansión. Additionally, we do not have the capacity to influence decisions in Mexican Football (when we have) barely 5 percent of votes in the General Assembly.' The original CAS claim that was filed on May 19 also cited the ongoing debate in Mexico regarding multi-club ownership and its impact on Mexican football. 'The concentration of eight first-division clubs in the hands of four ownership groups represents a significant distortion to the Mexican football ecosystem,' reads the claim. It goes on to allege that multi-owned clubs can be 'incentivized to act in a coordinated manner' to benefit the groups that they represent. This, the claim says, is 'a detriment to fair competition.' Carlezzo said that the Liga Expansión teams have until Thursday to present their arguments to CAS with the required substantiation. FMF will then be notified by CAS and an official hearing could be scheduled within two to three months.
Fox Sports
22-05-2025
- Business
- Fox Sports
Mexican second division teams appeal to CAS in a bid to reinstate a promotion and relegation system
Associated Press MEXICO CITY (AP) — Ten of 16 second division teams seeking to reinstate promotion and relegation in Mexico's soccer leagues have filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Among the disgruntled clubs is Atlante, which was founded in 1918 and has won two league titles but was relegated in 2014. Since Mexico's soccer federation halted promotion in the 2019-2020 season, the Potros de Hierro have won the second division title three times. 'There's a document where it was established that promotion and relegation was suspended until 2026, but it did not say that it was cancelled,' Atlante's owner Emilio Escalante said. The other nine clubs joining the appeal are Atlético La Paz, Atlético Morelia, Cancún, Cimarrones, Alebrijes Oaxaca, Mineros, Venados, Leones Negros and Jaiba Brava. The Mexican federation said it will present its official position to CAS and regretted that the clubs didn't engage in direct dialogue with them instead. The owners of the 18 first division teams have scheduled a meeting next week to vote on several propositions for the competition, including the return of the promotion and relegation system. 'The FMF (soccer federation) is convinced that dialogue among its members is a fundamental principle that must be promoted and respected. However, it recognizes the right of any affiliated member to file any appeals they deem necessary' the organization said in a statement. The CAS has not yet scheduled a date for a hearing. The owners of the 18 top flight teams initially voted to halt promotion and relegation for six seasons, arguing that it would help to consolidate the second division clubs. Each second division team receives funding each year but those that finish in the last three places after the two-tournament season are forced to pay a combined $8 million that is spread among the clubs. 'That economic support they provide has remained the same for the past five years and it's meaningless now," Escalante said of the funding. 'Everything costs more now.' Escalante bought Atlante in 2020 and accepted the league conditions. "They promised they would reopen promotion in 2026. We are very close to that date and they don't say anything,' Escalante added. ___ AP soccer: in this topic
Hindustan Times
22-05-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Mexican second division teams appeal to CAS in a bid to reinstate a promotion and relegation system
MEXICO CITY — Ten of 16 second division teams seeking to reinstate promotion and relegation in Mexico's soccer leagues have filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Among the disgruntled clubs is Atlante, which was founded in 1918 and has won two league titles but was relegated in 2014. Since Mexico's soccer federation halted promotion in the 2019-2020 season, the Potros de Hierro have won the second division title three times. 'There's a document where it was established that promotion and relegation was suspended until 2026, but it did not say that it was cancelled,' Atlante's owner Emilio Escalante said. The other nine clubs joining the appeal are Atlético La Paz, Atlético Morelia, Cancún, Cimarrones, Alebrijes Oaxaca, Mineros, Venados, Leones Negros and Jaiba Brava. The Mexican federation said it will present its official position to CAS and regretted that the clubs didn't engage in direct dialogue with them instead. The owners of the 18 first division teams have scheduled a meeting next week to vote on several propositions for the competition, including the return of the promotion and relegation system. 'The FMF is convinced that dialogue among its members is a fundamental principle that must be promoted and respected. However, it recognizes the right of any affiliated member to file any appeals they deem necessary' the organization said in a statement. The CAS has not yet scheduled a date for a hearing. The owners of the 18 top flight teams initially voted to halt promotion and relegation for six seasons, arguing that it would help to consolidate the second division clubs. Each second division team receives funding each year but those that finish in the last three places after the two-tournament season are forced to pay a combined $8 million that is spread among the clubs. 'That economic support they provide has remained the same for the past five years and it's meaningless now," Escalante said of the funding. 'Everything costs more now.' Escalante bought Atlante in 2020 and accepted the league conditions. "They promised they would reopen promotion in 2026. We are very close to that date and they don't say anything,' Escalante added. soccer: /hub/soccer
Washington Post
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
Mexican second division teams appeal to CAS for promotion and relegation reinstatement
MEXICO CITY — Ten of 16 second division teams seeking to reinstate promotion and relegation in Mexico have filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Among the disgruntled is Atlante, a club that was founded in 1918 and has won two league titles but was relegated in 2014.
Fox Sports
21-05-2025
- Business
- Fox Sports
Mexican second division teams appeal to CAS for promotion and relegation reinstatement
Associated Press MEXICO CITY (AP) — Ten of 16 second division teams seeking to reinstate promotion and relegation in Mexico have filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Among the disgruntled is Atlante, a club that was founded in 1918 and has won two league titles but was relegated in 2014. Since the Mexican Soccer Federation halted promotion in the 2019-2020 season, the Potros de Hierro have won the second division three times. 'There's a document where it was established that promotion and relegation was suspended until 2026, but it did not say that it was cancelled,' said Atlante's owner Emilio Escalante. The other nine clubs are Atlético La Paz, Atlético Morelia, Cancún, Cimarrones, Alebrijes Oaxaca, Mineros, Venados, Leones Negros and Jaiba Brava. The Mexican soccer federation declined to comment on the appeal because they have not been notified of it. The CAS said that it has not yet scheduled a date for a hearing. The owners of the 18 top-flight teams voted to halt promotion and relegation for six seasons, arguing that it would help to consolidate the second-division clubs before moving into the first division. Each second division team receives $845,000 a year. Those that finish in the last three places after the two-tournament season are forced to pay a combined $8 million that is spread among the clubs. 'That economic support they provide has remained the same for the past five years and it's meaningless now. Everything costs more now,' said Escalante. Escalante bought Atlante in 2020 and accepted the league conditions. "They promised they would reopen promotion in 2026. We are very close to that date and they don't say anything,' Escalante added. ___ AP soccer: in this topic
