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While the Apertura Tournament 2023 is underway, there are still problems between the Peruvian Football Federation (FPF) and some clubs of the Liga 1, regarding TV rights. In response, Óscar Romero, president of the Professional Football Sports Association (ADFP), came forward and spoke about the actions of the highest authority of national football on this matter. He even stated that he trusts that there will be "very strong sanctions" sooner or later.
“I would tell the Federation to start reading its statutes from 1996 to 2021 and see the issue of rights transfer because they have violated the contractual issue that the clubs had with the previous operator, and this is not about clubs or operators, it is about the contract itself. In the civil code and the Constitution, contractual freedom is established between clubs and the operator. Does the Federation appear? No, because it has already transferred ownership to the clubs," Romero mentioned in an interview with GOLPERU.
Likewise, he stated: “The Federation would have to evaluate this matter very well because it is already aware that this is also part of the investigation into organized crime. They were raided on March 2 of this year, and on the 3rd they modified the regulations of the Liga 1 again. What they are doing is getting complicated, sooner or later there will be very strong sanctions. This is just the beginning, it is in the preliminary investigation stage and there have already been raids, they should consult their lawyers about what can happen next.”
Óscar Romero also sent a message to the members of the Board of Directors of the Peruvian Football Federation: “Let them reflect, let them know that the legal entity will not go to prison, the Federation itself is also aggrieved but those who manage the Federation could be detained or convicted tomorrow”.
Similarly, the president of ADFP requested Agustín Lozano, the highest representative of the FPF, to show “the contract he has with the operators and if it says it is confidential, cover the confidentiality clauses but show us the exact date, not a memorandum of understanding, that is being transparent”.
In fact, Romero revealed the possible consequences that could occur. “The clubs will go back to having their contracts respected because the contracts have their preference clauses, and those contracts will be respected and the Federation will have to answer for damages and losses, not only to the clubs but also to the operator. The FPF is getting into a very serious problem because if they had the right, they would have already resolved it and they won't resolve it because they are not right, according to the norms and the contract,” he added.
About the payment received by the Liga 1 clubs
In the same interview, Óscar Romero referred to the $500,000 payment that the clubs received at the beginning of the year. “There were 3 versions, first that it was $500,000 for infrastructure, then spokesperson Dino Caro came out and said it was for a 'feed' that will be given to the clubs that enter into these types of contracts, and then he came out again saying that it was for television rights,” he pointed out.
However, the president of ADFP stated that the “FPF cannot give money to anyone because it is a non-profit civil association”. “If I give money to one of my associates, I am simply making an indirect distribution of profits and the tax authority should have intervened a long time ago because I cannot give money to the clubs from my own assets,” he concluded.
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