VERACRUZ -- In the registration of the last Sub-20 match of Veracruz, Rodolfo Vega appears as the team's coach, but the coach of the women's division of the sharks claims that José Luis González China, director of the institution's basic forces, is in charge, and some players are not sure who will lead the first quarterfinal match against Santos. In that division, it is the only one that the Veracruz team qualified for the playoffs.
"It was difficult to adapt to the changes because first it was René (Isidoro García) and a week before the start of the tournament, (Marco) Trejo arrives, in the fifth round, China arrives, it was tough for us with so many changes. We always think about our professionalism and adapting to whoever takes over as coach," said Guillermo Huber, former Sub-20 player of Veracruz, who terminated his contract due to lack of payment.
The Sub-20 team of Veracruz was the one that performed the best in the tournament within the Veracruz institution. In that division, their salaries were also not being paid, and four of their players terminated their contracts after not receiving payment for over two months. Regardless of the adversities, the young Veracruz players remained in playoff positions and qualified in seventh place in the table.
"I feel that we really tried to give everything for the shirt, some first team players as well, because they talked to us and asked how we were doing, they wanted us to pull through. I don't know what happened with the higher-ups, the difference between the first team and the Sub-20 team was the desire to want to be someone," confesses Huber, who was the first to terminate his contract in that division due to lack of payment.
The list of players who terminated their contracts in the Sub-20 division of Veracruz includes José Baldovinos, José Flores, and Melvin Martínez, in addition to Guillermo Huber, there could have been more, but "some were afraid that there would be consequences for their future."
"They supported me, I was the first one in the Sub-20 to terminate my contract, many didn't want to take the risk because of problems they could have in the future. When I did it, they congratulated me and then other teammates also terminated their contracts," acknowledges Huber.
"Many stories are told, but I used to spend time with the Sub-17 and Sub-20 teams and nobody told us that there were players who couldn't eat or that someone reported something similar, what happened is that they didn't pay us and the proof is that I could terminate my contract for that reason," he added.
In the squad of the Sub-20 division of Veracruz, there is no designated coach for that category, José Luis González China is registered as an assistant coach for the Albinegros de Orizaba, and yet, the Veracruz team players have their sights set on winning the Apertura 2019 title.
"We turned a blind eye to everything, we gathered, played for ourselves, I am outside now, but I still have communication with everyone, the first thing we wanted to do was to qualify for the playoffs and now my teammates are going for the league title. It hurts not being with them, but I know they can achieve whatever they want," said Huber.