Mexican club León is preparing to be put up for sale in order to comply with FIFA regulations regarding multi-club ownership ahead of the upcoming Club World Cup. However, the sale is not expected to occur in the immediate future.
The announcement was made on Thursday by Jesús Martínez, owner of Grupo Pachuca, which owns both León and Pachuca. Martínez expressed hope that FIFA will consider the pending sale and allow both teams to participate in the expanded Club World Cup next year in the United States. Both clubs have qualified for the 32-team tournament.
Martínez stated that he has been in discussions with FIFA and plans to meet with CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani to clarify how the two teams operate. “They are listening. We have been transparent, and we are optimistic that we can move forward with this situation,” Martínez said after the draw held in Miami. “They told us that after the draw, they will make a decision in mid-December or early January.”
FIFA announced last month that it would not permit multiple teams owned by the same individual to compete in the tournament. This ruling followed a complaint from Costa Rica’s Alajuelense, which argued that one of the Mexican teams should be replaced by them.
Martínez emphasized, “We have in our favor that we did not have the regulation before, because it came out a month ago. That is being analyzed, but on their part, I see a great openness. The most important thing is to respect what was won on the field.”
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