We have to get rid of the vices in Mexican football

The end of the World Cup will bring about a new dawn for the Mexican Football Association (FEMEXFUT). A new era that needs to be based on openness, transparency, and the respect of its regulations, not just changes to the organizational chart or modifications to trivial matters.

We need deep changes, in manner and essence, that remove the vices which have Mexican football down in the mud, in the dirt that keeps pulling fans away from the stadiums or that has simply made them lose their faith in the Federation, a Federation that does what it wants, going over their own rules, by-laws, and penalizations.

Let us hope the Yon de Luisa administration starts strongly and solves the long list of pending items; that it works to get the boost needed to truly improve. All the way from internal management to the public image, currently deteriorated.

One of the pending items is the number of debts the teams have with their players, coaches, and even administrative staff. It's not possible that those making a living out of football have to beg to be paid what they are owed. And worse yet, that there are clubs who spend entire tournaments indebted and hiding their debts in order to enter the drafts or the playoffs. If a club has debts from the beginning, it means it lacks a well-structured financial plan and that it will continue accumulating debts throughout the tournament.

Only for the playoffs that start this weekend we already have two indebted teams – Dorados and Atlante – but since no one takes them to the Dispute Department because the owners made them a promise, they are allowed to play. That is, they don't pay, they pinky swear, and then they get to play. Terrible.

Dear candidates...what about sports?

Another pending item is, no doubt, violence . At EL UNIVERSAL Deportes , we have registered the regrettable event which took place in the streets close to the Luis Pirata Fuente, in Veracruz, and no executive had something to say about that. It was as if this shameful episode hadn't even existed – like many others which have been filed without a proper investigation.

These are the things that require immediate action. The list of pending items may be more extensive if we include other matters like refereeing, the autonomy of this Commission, the Federation, the VAR, the new coach of the National team, etc. But none as vital as solving the matters of indebtedness and violence.

If Mexican football doesn't want to lose more members of its audience, then they must rectify these situations and be done with the owners who fail to pay their players, which, in turn, causes the players to be more concerned about putting food on the table rather than playing a good match. In addition to getting rid of the violent types that pull families away from the stadiums...these are, honestly, the vices that we need to get rid of once and for all.

am