Mexican FA accused of silencing clubs seeking promotion reinstatement

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Two Mexican clubs seeking to reinstate promotion and relegation say the Mexican Football Association is trying to silence and punish them after they appealed to sport's highest court.

Last month, 10 of the 15 clubs in Mexico's second division filed the appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Since then, four of them have opted out leaving six in it: Leones Negros, Venados FC, Atletico Morelia, Cancun FC, Club Atletico La Paz and Mineros.

The FMF halted promotion in 2019 and agreed with the second division teams to reinstate it in 2026, but there are no current plans to do it and that is why the clubs went to CAS.

"We can't ascend to the first division because the league is kidnapped," Giovanni Solazzi, the Cancun FC vice president said this week. "If there is sporting justice, promotion must return."

Alberto Castellanos, the Leones Negros president, also criticized the federation for what he called "monopolistic practices."

On Wednesday, the federation wrote to Solazzi and Castellanos informing them they were being investigated because their statements may have breached the code of ethics. The clubs could be fined up to 450,000 pesos (about $23,000), stated the letter, seen by the Associated Press.

"The FMF is clearly pursuing an intimidatory process intended to silence and punish the clubs for appealing to CAS," said Eduardo Carlezzo, the owner of the legal firm representing the clubs in the appeal.

The owners of the 18 top flight teams voted to halt promotion and relegation for six seasons, arguing it would help to consolidate the second-division clubs. As a payoff, the second tier clubs share an $8 million pot.

Since the CAS appeal, the second division teams claim they have not received any payments.

"The federation suspended the financial compensation the day after the appeal was launched and is now threatening disciplinary sanction over comment," Carlezzo said. "These actions constitute a serious and blatant infringement of the freedom of expression and the access to justice guaranteed by the Mexican constitution."

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