Syndicate of Mexican Footballers: The Birth of a Movement

A legal lawsuit was the cornerstone for the creation of the first Syndicate of Mexican footballers. Carlos Albert was a central defender for Necaxa; everything was going well in his career, he even played for the national team. However, in 1971, he experienced his first labor injustice, which led him to seek a solution with the executives. When he was ignored, he decided to file a legal lawsuit.

46 years have passed, but he remembers even the smallest details of the situation.

"At Necaxa, they tried to do the same thing they did to all Mexicans back then. When your contract ended, they placed you in two conditions: transferable or retained. Transferable meant that if someone showed interest in you, they could request to speak with you. But nobody approached you, they paid you 50% of your salary and made you transferable to pay the other 50% when the tournament ended and a new one began," he recounted to La Afición.

He added, "Sometimes they would save a month or two months and they didn't just do it with one player, but with 8 or 9. It was a complete injustice. They tried to do this to me just when a new Federal Labor Law had been published, which had a novel chapter called 'the professional athlete,' which protected us. The executives thought it wouldn't be used and that we would be their subjects."

Albert spent months trying to contact Julio Orvañanos, who was in charge of those procedures at Necaxa. He wanted to clarify the situation because he believed he hadn't failed the institution. His work spoke for itself since he rarely sat on the bench and he was playing at the national team level. Therefore, he deserved good treatment.

"I went and filed my lawsuit with Conciliation and Arbitration. When Orvañanos found out, he finally appeared and called me. He said, 'let's see Carlos, what's this about?' I replied simply, 'I searched for you day and night for three months, and you either couldn't or didn't want to see me.' I told him it wasn't about money, it was about dignity. I wasn't a dog," he said.

They gave him a blank check to withdraw, and they pressured him through his father and other footballers. But he didn't give in, he persisted, and according to the records, footballers like Antonio Mota, Gamaliel Ramírez, Tato Linares, Villalobos, Valdivia, Magaña, and "in general, those from Necaxa and Chivas, in addition to others," joined the movement.

"When my teammates realized that I was winning each stage against Necaxa, players from several teams approached me and asked, 'how do we do it?' I told them that each case would be different, but the lawyers were available," he said.

THE BIRTH OF THE SYNDICATE

One afternoon, while discussing one of the cases with the lawyers, Carlos Albert proposed a Syndicate of footballers. They considered other types of organizations, such as a Civil Association, but "we realized that the only legal way to defend ourselves if the executives ignored us was a syndicate. They were demonized back then and still are. There was no other choice; it was the only thing that would give us legal power if we needed it," he said.

So, "we looked for a representative in each team; we went to each club to explain our issue, why we wanted to do it, that it wasn't about confrontation. It grew until we fully met the requirements mandated by the law for the Syndicate, we submitted the paperwork to the Secretary of Labor, and it was approved. It wasn't just an attempt; I have the signed documents. It was called the Unique Syndicate of Professional Footballers of the Mexican Republic and it encompassed the First, Second, and Third divisions," he said.

THE THREATS FROM THE EXECUTIVES

With a firm voice, Carlos Albert made it clear that although the Syndicate became a reality and they achieved what no one else had, "it died because the executives began seeking revenge and fired the footballers who were in the board. There were threats, and Mexican footballers were scared. Instead of recognizing what was most important, they started hiding, and only a few of us were left with a package we couldn't handle," he said.

It was difficult for them to pay the rent for the small office they set up, the electricity, and everything that came with a Syndicate. "They left us to die alone, even though the demands were very favorable to ensure that footballers would be at peace from the moment they turned professional. It was one of the great opportunities that the Mexican footballer missed out on to truly be dignified," he said.

Another mitigating factor was that, at the time, there were details they didn't like: "My lawyers and I were approached by the CTM (Confederation of Mexican Workers); a man named (Jesús) Yuren, who was Fidel Velázquez's son-in-law (former Secretary-General of the CTM), spoke to us. He said, 'let's see what the problem is with you, what do you need?' I replied that we needed legal support, and he said, 'whatever you need, even money to pay salaries in case you get fired. If you need lawyers, they are at your service. If you need offices, look in the building.' I asked what we had to give in return," he said.

The response didn't have good implications. "He explained that in return, we had to support them whenever they needed it, 'if we have to march to support a Union of Factory Workers, support them, just as they will support you. You will have to face the consequences.' That's where things got really tough; we didn't want a commotion, we just wanted to defend the dignity of the footballer," he said.

The people at Necaxa warned him, 'consider yourself dead, you're never going to play professional football again' after those decisions. However, he feels proud; he even narrated the topic with pride. He retired early from the field, but his fight remains.

BEST OF LUCK TO RAFA

The creation of a Syndicate of footballers is the movement Rafael Márquez currently leads. Players yearn to defend themselves, to have an organization independent of the Mexican Football Federation. According to Carlos Albert, an ex-footballer who succeeded in establishing a Syndicate in 1971, it will be difficult, but he hopes it happens.

"Almost everyone wants to do it when their career is coming to an end, when they have almost nothing to lose. The young ones will say, 'it's easy for you, you already have your life sorted.' Back then, we were all on the same level; we risked the ground we walked on, there were no superstars. I'm not criticizing Rafa Márquez; I would be the happiest person if it happens. It hasn't happened because of the lack of dignity of the Mexican footballer, the lack of commitment and respect for the football profession, and the lack of courage. They've never realized the importance they have in football; they don't respect their guild, and they don't realize they're not eternal or invincible," he said.