South America’s leading clubs have warned the continent’s beleaguered soccer body that they would pull out of one of the sport’s top tournaments if they do not get a 150 percent increase in income from the Copa Libertadores.
Clubs are balking at an offer of a 40 percent increase in prize and participation money after the South American Football Federation (CONMEBOL) agreed to a new contract with Fox Sports in November last year. The US Department of Justice in May last year charged that a previous agreement to televise the event, involving a wholly separate group of companies, had been based on bribery.
The department’s case has rocked soccer, creating chaos at global governing body FIFA and forcing president Sepp Blatter from office.
CONMEBOL was expected to name Paraguayan Alejandro Dominguez as its new president — after the election yesterday in which he was to be the only candidate — following the arrest in December last year of compatriot Juan Angel Napout, who became the third CONMEBOL head to be implicated in the sprawling soccer corruption scandal since May last year.
“We have a deadline of Feb. 3. If they do not give us the new prices, we do not play the Copa Libertadores,” said Marco Trovato, president of Paraguay’s Olimpia.
Trovato said the new television contract for the Copa Libertadores and the second-tier Copa Sul-Americana is worth about US$135 million. He said that represents at least double the amount of the previous agreement.
“Right now they are giving 40 percent, but they have to bring that money up to 150 percent because they do not need that extra money,” Trovato said.
His team were finalists in the 2013 edition of the tournament. He said club officials would meet again with CONMEBOL tomorrow when the regional body would explain its own financial needs.
South America produces some of the world’s best soccer players, but its clubs are unable to keep hold of them because of the financial power of rivals in Europe. Argentina star Lionel Messi, who this month was awarded the Ballon d’Or for a fifth time, plays for European champions Barcelona, along with Brazil’s Neymar and Uruguay’s Luis Suarez. The three are among the highest paid athletes in the sport.
“This money is for the work of the clubs — we need to be able to retain our players,” said Daniel Angelici, president of Argentine side Boca Juniors, one of the most-popular teams in South America.
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