“The Federation makes decisions behind the clubs’ backs”

—I imagine that there is discomfort in the ‘U’ due to the programming of the first date of League 1, on a Monday…

Anyway. It is unfortunate how the Federation schedules soccer matches that way. Even more so when there is no other commitment on the weekend of risk. The truth is that there is no technical criteria for programming, and people from outside still come to try to impose things without knowing the facts and the environment. It is as if it was unknown that Universitario is one of the biggest teams in the country and that it usually plays with a large number of people. This definitely goes against the system because instead of attracting sponsors, you drive them away. It is unfortunate.

—When you refer to people from outside, do you mean Héctor Lara, the director of Competitions for Liga1, who worked at Cruz Azul and Morelia?

Yes, totally. They are people who come from abroad and it seems that they are unaware of our reality and which are the most important teams. Without any technical criteria it seems that the programming of the date was elaborated. It has baffled us, because our party could go at any time on Sunday, without any problem, but they schedule it for a Monday night when we know that this will impact the capacity.

What measures have they taken?

There is no technical reason to justify such an aberration, it does not exist. Yes, we, as appropriate, through regular channels, have filed a formal complaint against Liga 1, with effect for our request to be reconsidered. This goes against the people who are anxious to see Universitario. It is the club’s first game in League 1 and there is great expectation on the part of the cream family and they will not go fully, because logically people work. The priority is work, and not football. It will be very difficult for the whole family to be able to attend the stadium.

“When would you have an answer?”

It would have to be these days. It has to be fast right? It would be necessary to do some kind of coordination with the other authorities that are involved in carrying out the events. I know you can coordinate, it can be done, but what happens is that the Federation, behind the back of the clubs, again makes decisions and basically I mean that they encapsulate the information and arbitrarily make decisions behind the back and do not consult the clubs, because Perhaps other types of proposals could have arisen, right? But less harmful than playing on a Monday. Unfortunately, this type of coordination does not exist and we have these types of consequences.

Do you think it’s because the ‘U’ has signed the TV rights with the Consortium and doesn’t follow the guidelines they proposed?

It may be that it is some kind of retaliation. It could be, but in the end the loser is football because as we generate less money from the box office and less money from sponsors and if television finally decides to give us less money because nobody sees us. So, that impacts what we have to pay the Federation. Finally, they shoot themselves in the feet, because if we earn less, consequently the percentages that we have to pay them for rights are lower. It would be wrong to retaliate when this would also have an impact on themselves, on economic issues, for which you stop doing a thousand things, thinking about the good of soccer, such as building soccer fields, allocating it to infrastructure, investing in minors, what it has to make a Football Federation. Even for that you have to be a little more intelligent.

—With all this, you have to row and seek to respect the interests of Universitario de Deportes…

Nobody is going to set an agenda for us and nobody is going to tell us what is best for us. We have to act based on what is best for the club. We cannot make decisions based on speculation or probabilities. Because that just leads you to economic imbalance. We make decisions based on proven, objective and technical issues, otherwise we don’t. If the Federation wants to take that path, cool, there is no problem, they make all the decisions they want, but they don’t pull us.

—What is the 2023 plan to clean up the debts of Universitario?

Thanks for the question, it allows me to tell you and inform you that Universitario has not paid current tax debt for a long time. Today our current tax account is up to date. We have managed to bring the tax debt up to date. We are paying obligations that we found, according to an audit, a debt of almost 70 million soles (current debt), which has been reduced by the partial payments we are making. Therefore, this year we are going to continue with the same economic financial order and the same financial responsibility to be able to continue paying debt that has not been generated by this management, but by the bankruptcy process and well, it must be paid because it is the institution’s debt and surely there will also be news with the bankruptcy debt that must also be paid.

—Current debt… until when is the term to cancel it?

Look, the current debt is the one that arises monthly as an obligation of the club, that is, they are your monthly obligations. Unfortunately, the club had stopped paying its monthly obligations, it was not complying with it within the bankruptcy process. They stopped paying taxes. declarations or at least not declared, labor debts, that had stopped being paid within the bankruptcy process. That is to say, Universitario did not pay what it had to pay monthly, unfortunately. We have assumed that debt and we are complying with the payment of it. In addition, what we have to pay monthly, which are club obligations, in addition to this, our management is complying with paying debts generated by former administrations that did not comply with tax, labor, etc. obligations.

“How is the payment of the debt to Umbro going?”

With Umbro there is no definition. In fact, an arbitral award came out and we, in accordance and as appropriate according to our right, are going to the Judiciary to try to reverse the ruling that came out at the arbitration level. So, there is still nothing concrete and we will wait for the definition of the Peruvian justice to indicate whether or not the payment is due.

“When would you have an answer?”

That already depends on the Judiciary, you know that the terms there are relative, I could not give you an exact date. If justice determines it, we would be very respectful and comply with what is provided.

—The subject of Alex Valera, has Fateh told you how he will deal with the debt with you?

Due to a matter of confidentiality of contracts, I cannot tell you any information. Because it is confidential, I cannot divulge anything about the situation.

—Do you think that without having Alianza Lima’s wallet they have formed the most competitive squad of the ‘U’ in recent years?

Look, we have always said it, here what is done is management and the first person who punches to do management is Jean Ferrari. He is a person who breathes football and how few know the football system, therefore, perhaps it is easier for him to achieve goals without having to have so much financial resources, because when there is no financial resources, then there are human resources and what I can tell you, although, I don’t want to talk about more or less, but that small incidence of economic resources in Universitario we make up very well for that passion that we work in the club and with the capacity that each of its workers has, starting with Jean , who is the first to start negotiations and try to conclude them for the benefit of the institution.

—What can Universitario fans expect at ‘Noche Crema’?

In the first instance, what I can tell you is that there is nothing to say to the fans and we just have to thank them. The Universitario fan is unique, when he has to stand up he is always there. He is a special fan because despite everything the club has experienced, he never stopped being with his institution. He does not stay in the sports part, but he is also informed about institutional issues. He is always there. Regarding permits, we have to understand that football is a social issue. Our country may have problems, but if there is something that unites us, it is football. You have to stop seeing football as if it were a high-risk activity, where the police have to be with all their antennas up. In fact, it has to be, but it is still an activity that unites people, our concern must be to bring the family to the stadium and make it a family event and a show. This is not a war field, it’s a soccer game. Three or five criminals cannot spoil the party of 80 thousand people.

—Anything else from the legal area of ​​Universitario that the fan should know?

We must be attentive to our usual enemies who do not sleep either, I believe that this is the year in which Universitario is going to free itself from the enemies that have done a lot of damage to the club and have served themselves instead of serving the ‘U’ . The person who comes to work at Universitario has to be willing to give everything, but never take away from the ‘U’. It is not taken away from Universitario, it is given and delivered. All those enemies who have hurt the club wanting to hurt and squeeze it is very likely that this year they will say goodbye to the club and never again live on the ‘U’ bottle.