Quito -
Club leaders in Ecuador expect a severe financial crisis when the health emergency due to the coronavirus ends and LigaPro resumes its tournaments. For now, some directors see a salary reduction for football players as an option to alleviate the level of inconvenience, although they do not specify the legal way to do it. The life president of Mushuc Runa, Luis Alfonso Chango, has been the most radical: to suspend the 2020 edition.
The last time the ball rolled in the country was on Saturday, March 14: Mushuc Runa defeated Macará 2-0, for the fifth round of Serie A (before Técnico Universitario defeated Liga de Portoviejo). Six matches are still pending.
Santiago Morales, the manager of Independiente del Valle, proposed that LigaPro organize a meeting between the institutions related to professional soccer to address the issue.
Forget about the players understanding. They have always been spoiled. If we have to patch things up, we have to give them something in return. Luis Alfonso Chango, life president of Mushuc Runa
"It would be good if LigaPro took the initiative to bring together the players' guild, the representatives of the teams, and the directors of the Ecuadorian Football Federation to make a joint decision (about a possible salary reduction)," Morales analyzed in an interview with the Quito station Match Deportes.
"I see it very difficult for each club to solve the contract situation because the legal aspect must be taken into account (the labor laws of the country do not allow it)," he added. He considered that it would be "fabulous" if CONMEBOL or FIFA "made a global decision that benefits everyone."
Esteban Paz, the CEO of Liga de Quito, has already anticipated that he does not know how the players will react to a possible salary reduction, a measure that he does not rule out. "It is difficult to know because undoubtedly there will be players who understand, conscious of the moment. Others will react badly," said Paz.
The players will receive an amount of money this week to subsist, but if this drags on, severe problems will arise. Esteban Paz, executive of Liga de Quito
"This whole situation (stoppage of activities due to the pandemic) will generate a negative effect. Not to mention in an economy like ours, and soccer will suffer. It will be negative for everyone, and those who do not adapt to these new circumstances will be left out," he added.
Mushuc Runa's proposal, through Chango, was categorical. "The LigaPro should be suspended in 2020. Breaking the contractual relationships would be advantageous because the contracts with the players were signed between November and December and are running for payment," he argued.
But this way out will not be easy, according to Chango. "The players will not understand because they don't even like to fulfill their obligations (taxes)," he said. "We have to reorient things in every way and act with a firm hand according to income," he added.
'Without income'
"When there is a defined budget, the players' demands can be met, but in this emergency, without income, not only the clubs have to be affected but all the actors in soccer," he said.
The consequences of the tournament suspension will be very serious. The logical thing would be to discuss a possible salary reduction at the union level. Santiago Morales, manager of Independiente del Valle
In Aucas, manager Andrés Báez acknowledged that this tournament stoppage will be "a hard blow to the teams' economy," but indicated that the eastern club has implemented a change "to have economic and financial order." (D)