Hi my Argentinian friends, I love hearing Fernando Niembro's show on Del Plata Radio and he touched about the new club crises that is going to hit Argentine soccer in the coming weeks. The worst ever according to him. I did some digging around and found this article by Gustavo Veiga about the situation the majority of Argentine clubs are in. What's do you all believe is killing soccer in Argentina? Por Gustavo Veiga. | 08/01/09 ¿Quién pagará la cuenta del fútbol argentino en 2009? por Kuky Faped River está casi quebrado, Boca debe 110 millones, Racing y Newell´s quedaron devastados. En marzo, podría darse una crisis como en 2001, cuando la AFA pagó varias deudas. El fútbol vuelve el próximo sábado, pero 2009 no será un año sencillo para los clubes, sus jugadores y el espectáculo en general. El clásico Independiente -Racing abrirá la temporada en Mar del Plata porque la televisión es uno de los principales sostenes del negocio (el otro son las transferencias de futbolistas al exterior) y necesita alimentar su alicaída programación veraniega. Debajo de eso, hay un índice de conflictividad que se insinúa y que podría provocar en los próximos meses un cimbronazo. “Se viene el colapso del fútbol, porque habrá clubes que no van a poder pagar los sueldos en marzo y encima el contexto internacional es desfavorable, con la quiebra de varias empresas que invertían en esto”, confesó el presidente de una institución de Primera División, muy preocupado por el estado económico- financiero de los clubes afiliados a la AFA. Algunos datos respaldan su hipótesis. River está técnicamente en cesación de pagos, Boca le debe al plantel seis meses de primas y tiene un pasivo de 110 millones de pesos, las nuevas autoridades de Racing y Newell’s, que ganaron las elecciones en diciembre pasado, encontraron tesorerías devastadas, San Lorenzo empezó a tener problemas para pagarles a varios jugadores. Y la lista continúa. La situación es seguida con atención en la AFA y en Futbolistas Agremiados que acaban de actualizar el convenio colectivo de trabajo con un nuevo régimen de contratos para los jugadores profesionales. La legislación se aggiornó para adecuarla al contexto internacional, donde los clubes argentinos no pueden proteger ese capital que son los futbolistas que formaron en sus divisiones inferiores. El de Nery Cardozo, el volante de Boca, es el último caso. Rompió unilateralmente el vínculo que lo unía a su ahora ex club y se fue a jugar a Los Jaguares de México. En River quedan pocos valores que le pertenezcan un ciento por ciento. La mayoría de los pases se los reparte el club en distintos porcentajes con ignotas empresas (Beaufort y Balmer SA, Air Photo, Twenty Two SA). La oposición ha hecho cuentas y denuncia que la entidad está en cesación de pagos. Da un ejemplo: la comisión directiva no pudo pagarle a Tigre el pase de Martín Galmarini. Y tiene comprometidos sus ingresos de TV, publicidad y el importe de sus cuotas sociales con un banco. Las flamantes conducciones de Racing (Rodolfo Molina) y Newell’s (Guillermo Lorente) se toparon con graves problemas a poco de asumir. En el club rosarino, la barra brava –fiel al anterior presidente, Eduardo López– se robó los aparatos de aire acondicionado, televisores, computadoras, cámaras de seguridad y otros elementos. El panorama es delicado y sólo se insinúa un auxilio por el lado de la televisión que, a cambio de extender el contrato que vence en el 2014 de los derechos del fútbol, aumentaría el dinero que paga por el producto. Los próximos meses serán claves para saber hasta dónde llega la crisis de los clubes. Estos debieron apelar en 2001 a un fideicomiso que armó AFA (el garante de los clubes) para saldar deudas con sus jugadores en las tres categorías profesionales. Ocho años después, la situación podría repetirse. Hacer comentario http://www.faped.com.ar/?se=nota¬a=699
If it's like in 2001 then nothing will happen because, they were saying some clubs had few months left and well... nothing happened, the clubs are still there. The situation of Racing and Newell's(though they're different) has been manifesting for almost a decade. So that they found the cubs in that condition is not a surprise, serves Molina right for speaking too much over the line before the elections. San Lorenzo's troubles were bound to happen relying too much on investors to pay loans and transfers, fine, but who'd pay the salaries that it requires? River has been doing that odd movement of young player transfers for a while too. I don't know about Boca's situation do i'd put that in doubt, it's Niembro after all. Also TV rights don't really help anybody but Boca and River who get over 75% of them. Notice how in these kind of things there's never mention of the likes of Banfield, Lanús, Estudiantes, Vélez or two that at some point had a lot of troubles like Gimnasia de La Plata y Rosario Central.
The clubs are still around, because of an AFA bailout. But I was also wondering the same thing at first, could this be a Y2K think all over again. But, I investigated more and read about Raul Gamez (Velez-Sarsfield),and others, also worried about it. Something must be wrong. Whether it be Mariano Closs' or Niembro's show, they both mention the dire situation the clubs are in. They don't do it 100% of the time, but they do mention it daily. There is similar discussion on other forums like muyboca or foros.riverplate. The socios all ask how is it possible that Boca or River cannot hire players without getting financing after all the millions sold? Where did all that money go? On that same show Niembro had an attorney friend of his who praised Lanus, Velez and Estudiantes as examples of how clubs should be runned. Someone made a comment that it would not be very glamorous for the big clubs, a.k.a. Boca and River, to be managed in that way. What do you all think?
Even if they have a point, i would take it with a grain of salt, because they're like that, they make a big deal of a serious issue, but they neve talk about it anymore later on. And personally i wouldn't mind Gamez too much, he claims to be "different" but he's the same shit of Grondona but with different smell(Actually it was Gamez who came with the idea of not having away supporters on lower division matches). Plus AFA has even more money then what they had back in 2001, if they decide to do that, then no worries, though you have to wonder why they'd help these clubs but years ago they did nothing for Mandiyú or Español, who got their things together again thanks to their club members and supporters. At River i wouldn't be surprised that the money should be there but it isn't, thanks to Mr. Aguilar. Ah ha, so it isn't a thing that concern all the clubs. Clearly i think the clubs that have been doing things the way it should be will be benefitted.
lol And they will have more. AFA announced a price increase for tickets to the games. The increase will cover security expenses associated with first division matches. Tickets to la general will cost 30 pesos up from 24. That comes out to $8.75 USD for a ticket. What's the average wage in Capital Federal? There is a current trend across South America where small teams are overshadowing the traditional powerhouses. It seems Argentine football is following that trend with Estudiantes, Lanus and Tigre as examples. How this affects future tv contracts is to be seen. What do you think, Andres?
Have you guys asked yourselves if your teams hurt economically, because you sponsor other activities besides football? Your team has the following sedes: Social, Boyaca, Wilde, Santo Domingo, & Complejo Tenis which may drain a great deal of resources from the club's coffers. Boca has a professional basketball team, too. As for socios it really doesn't cost much to join and become one. It seems to me, an outsider, that you guys treat your football as another subsidized commodity just like the price of energy. Maybe that is one reason along with inept and corrupt club presidents that contribute to the problem. This is from CA Independiente The plateistas pay up to $118 USD for a season pass.
Some people think it does, but in the end there're cases(probably Independiente isn't the best example) that club members are members not because of football, but because it's a club close to their home in which they can take part in different activies or make use of their complexes, gymnasiums, etc, i guess a better example of this could be two very big clubs(clubs as in the whole athletic and sporting aspect) like Banfield and Quilmes. And those things like, the complexes, the sedes, the stadium, etc are part of the club's patrimony, which could be an indicative of a club's status. Also i think that those amateur activities in reality don't leak that much of the club actual revenue, also if it was such a problem then some would've stopped being called "Club Atlético" long ago(Like Independiente which initially was just a football club and then evolved into an athletic club). According the price chart of the new stadium the cheapest season tickets are worth 182 USD there're up to over 1,400 for luxury boxes and such, for a single season, for 5 or 10 years they're cheaper in a yearly basis.
I like the clubes de barrio concept. That is why I hope it doesn't disappear. In Mexico, I think Atlas is managed in the same manner. I do not know about the fees, but I suspect that it may be more like joining a country club which would defeat the purpose. I remember following Independiente since el Pajaro Domizzi left to play there in 1990's. Televisa televised a match between River Plate and Independiente for Mexico, because Alberto Garcia Aspe was supposed to play. He didn't even leave the bench. I told myself that if I did leave to study at UBA I would check out the team.
If it ever gets to dissappear(hopefully it will never happen) i guess it'll be because of mismanagments if anything, i guess Racing under Blanquiceleste S.A. gave a perfect example that such kind of thing would be heavily disliked because even with club members, they realized that the club they were members of wasn't "their club" anymore, regardless of Blanquiceleste being a diaster.
I recommend you read this article about Newell's members fixing up their club after the barra ransacked it. I found it motivating. For me, this is a better example of how you Argentineans are passionate about your football.