When arguments are made in these lands in favor of the system of sports corporations, mention is often made of the integrity, neatness and efficiency with which the clubs in the hands of private investors would be managed. This is not exactly what happens in Chile. At least that shows the decision of the National Professional Soccer Association (ANFP) of that country, which announced on Thursday the disaffiliation of Sports Melipillachampion of the third category, for administrative irregularities.
The First Chamber of the ANFP Disciplinary Court adopted this resolution considering it proven that the leadership of Sports Melipillaa club that operates under the modality of a Professional Sports Joint Stock Company (approved by Chilean legislation since 2005), defaulted on social security paymentsa serious violation of the Association’s rules.
The investigation began following a complaint made by the leadership of Sports Concepciónthe club that had tied with Deportes Melipilla for first place in the table of the competition. Second Professional Division and then lost the tiebreaker match for promotion to Primera B on penalties. That accusation mentioned that his victor had also falsified the documents that certified compliance with labor obligations with a good part of its staff.
The ANFP Surveillance Committee decided, by five votes in favor and two against, the disaffiliation of Melipillabut left unresolved what will happen to the Second Division title and promotion to the First B. Deportes Concepción claims them as their own and questions the ANFP for not having detected the irregularities in time.
“The sanctioned institution presented false documentation to evade its responsibility in fulfilling its obligations in the payment of pension contributions throughout the entire period of the 2024 championship. This ruling, together with the subtraction of three points that it received from this same court, ratifies that Melipilla should not have played in the final of the Second Division, because if the ANFP control mechanisms had worked in a timely manner, Deportes Concepción was the legitimate champion by adding more units, directly achieving promotion to First B.”argued the club from the Biobío Region after learning of the sanction against its rival.
After the ruling was announced, Deportes Melipilla announced that it will appeal the decision in a second instance and denied any irregularity. “We are convinced that there was no alteration of the documents that were accompanied monthly and, in addition, the response from the Labor Directorate was accompanied”alleged the leadership, which warned that it was willing to exhaust all avenues including the Sports Arbitration Court (TAS), which would complicate the organization of the Second Division and First B tournaments for the start of the season next February.
This is not the only conflict that the ANFP is dealing with these days. In the First Division, Universidad de Chile took a claim against the champion of the 2024 season, Colo Colo, to the TAS. The accusation focuses on the fact that Jorge Almirón, coach of the Caciqueviolated the regulations by giving instructions during a match in which he was suspended.
In the First B, in Therefore, Barnechea was disaffiliated due to problems with his license and lost all points earned in the season. This resulted in their relegation to the Second Division, when they were in fourth place in the table, which gave them qualification for the promotion league. The Santiago club rejected the resolution and presented an appeal for protection in the Supreme Court of Justice, which represents an infringement of the statutes of FIFA, the South American Football Confederation and the ANFP.