Patience, unity, order, work... It is the discourse to which Miguel Ángel Loor, president of the Professional Football League (2018-2022), prefers to resort to in the face of the complications that Ecuadorian soccer carries, coming from the years when the Ecuadorian Football Federation (FEF) was in charge of the national championship, until the 2018 edition. Complaints about non-payment, clashes between leaders, and discomfort with refereeing decisions are some of the issues that the organization of clubs must take a stance on, which was initially set a "six-year deadline to see a change in Ecuadorian football," recalled the 38-year-old leader in an interview with EL UNIVERSO. He also referred to the results of the 2020 championship in the midst of the pandemic and the naturalization of more and more players in the teams, to which LigaPro already allows six foreigners in their ranks.
This month, the International Federation of Football History and Statistics ranked LigaPro in the tenth place among the best leagues in the world. How has this been received by you?
It is a pride. At the end of the day, one sees the result of the clubs, of their performance... It has been of such a level that (Ecuador) already competes with the great powers (Italy, England, Spain, Brazil, etc.). Seeing the Ecuadorian flag there generates pride.
What is your assessment after two full years of management?
Talking about assessment when the initial project has not yet finished, I think it is not appropriate; but if we want to make a cut of what we have advanced, we can say that we have finally professionalized football. One can see the image that the tournament conveys, not only locally but also internationally. I think the improvements in the economic aspect for football have been substantial, even with what we experienced in 2020 (pandemic). We still have to keep advancing, growing. The assessment is positive, in administrative, sports, and economic aspects.
One of the setbacks is the situation of players due to non-payment in clubs. Has the financial fair play that LigaPro preaches been fulfilled? Marco Posligua claimed that Olmedo did not even have "enough to eat" until a few weeks ago.
We intervene in all clubs. We must understand that leaders must be responsible and hire according to the budget that LigaPro has authorized them. If they have not done so, rest assured that we will not register them (in tournaments). If what the document says about the budget is not fulfilled later, according to what we send, we cannot be interveners of the clubs. Clubs have their administrators, their president... What we want is for them to do a responsible job. In 2020, we already investigated and sanctioned cases in which clubs violated the regulations.
In El Nacional, Pedro Quiñónez denounced that they had signed payrolls to help the team and not be suspended, but that they had not received their salaries. How does LigaPro act there?
That case is under investigation and there may be a resolution in the coming days.
Delfín de Manta was still demanding the economic prize for the 2019 national championship.
They have to remember how the approved regulations were, even with Delfín's own board. When we took control of the Professional League, the board proposed that there be no cash prize because there were no revenues, but it was agreed that there had to be something, at least the same as what the FEF paid, but that must come from television rights and when they pay, the prize will be given to them.
How did you end up financially due to the pandemic?
We have been hit because of what we wanted to achieve; but LigaPro has not had a single dollar of debt, it has not borrowed from anyone, it has sustained itself well. It ended and starts a very complicated year with its own resources.
Clubs say, "LigaPro has to pay us, LigaPro has to give us resources"...
It is the historical habit: that there is always an entity that solves problems or pays for things. Over time, clubs have to aim to professionalize as some have already done. For example, I have my commercial department, my communication department... And I generate resources for my club. That is what we are looking for. Not that we always provide resources, but that they (clubs) also generate them.
There have been public accusations by leaders about refereeing errors in the tournament.
They were called to testify, they gave their version, and in the end, no one said anything. Perhaps they saw things they disagreed with, things they did not like, and I think they did well to denounce them, but we have to obtain evidence to be able to reach where we want.
There are controversies within the Council of Presidents.
Football is competition and leaders believe that they also compete off the field, it is their way of experiencing it. All of us who are here must have a strange passion to be involved in football all the time. Everyone has their complications, their virtues... At the end of the day, there are many good people in football and they have to be rescued. I do not see anything particularly negative about them.
What do you think about the naturalization of more and more players in the championship?
It does not bother me. I just have to understand the reasons why they are naturalized. I am not the (state) entity that regulates nor am I someone who can judge the documentation or whether it meets requirements. From there, if they arrive as Ecuadorians to a club, they are Ecuadorians, like any of us, and they can compete. (D)