Movimiento Ciudadano Proposes Legal Mandate for Sporting Merit in Mexican Football
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A new Senate initiative seeks to codify promotion and relegation as a legal principle to reverse current restrictions in professional football.
Movimiento Ciudadano is set to present a Senate initiative this Tuesday aimed at establishing sporting merit as a guiding principle within the General Law of Physical Culture and Sport, as Sports Illustrated México first reported. The proposal seeks to provide legal backing for the system of promotion and relegation in Mexican football.
Clemente Castañeda, the coordinator for Movimiento Ciudadano and driver of the initiative, told Sports Illustrated México that while he does not yet have the necessary votes for approval, he perceives an optimistic political environment and a shared concern among parliamentary groups regarding the elimination of promotion and relegation. During a forum held Monday, Higinio Martínez of Morena noted a general disposition to find a formula to restore the system, while Mauricio Vila of the PAN explicitly stated his party's support.
Reporting from Sports Illustrated México highlights that Vila emphasized the stark economic disparity between leagues, noting that a Liga MX club generates approximately $63 million annually compared to $2.2 million for an Expansión club. He further noted that average Liga MX franchises rose from $15 million in 2020 to nearly $150 million six years later, while Expansión franchises remained around $2 million. Consequently, Vila proposed reviewing revenue sharing and subsidies to help lower-tier clubs achieve financial solidity.
Jorge Carlos Ramírez Marín of the PVEM questioned the logic of the current model, which allows for promotion by invitation but not by merit. Castañeda clarified that the initiative does not intend to replace sports directors or regulate football specifically, but rather to establish sporting merit as a governing principle for all national sports associations.
Beyond the legislative effort, Sports Illustrated México reports that the National Antitrust Commission (CNA) opened an official investigation on September 14 into possible monopolistic practices regarding access to professional football competitions. Additionally, five Expansión clubs have appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (TAS), and two amparo lawsuits were admitted in federal courts in September.