León’s participation in the Club World Cup remains in doubt due to concerns over multi-ownership. The Court of Arbitration for Sport is now considering the case, with a decision expected in early May.
With less than two months until the Club World Cup kicks off with Inter Miami vs. Al Ahly, the mystery surrounding León‘s spot remains. Their disqualification isn’t final, and a replacement hasn’t been named. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (TAS) has opened the case and heard arguments from both sides in a hearing lasting over five hours.
Los Panzas Verdes traveled to the courts in Spain to present their defense, based on dismissing Alajuelense of Costa Rica – the complaining club – as their possible substitutes and asking that their consecration in the 2023 Concacaf Champions Cup, which led them to obtain that ticket that was snatched from them due to the multi-ownership of Grupo Pachuca, be prioritized.
On the other side, the Costa Ricans expressed their position before the judges and, after a few minutes, made their strategy visible with a clear statement: “During the session, the club presented its evidence forcefully, presented relevant documents and interviewed the witnesses involved, reaffirming the position of the institution. The hearing, which took place in an environment of utmost seriousness, allowed the red and black representation to defend its arguments with clarity and solidity. Liga Deportiva Alajuelense reiterates its commitment to defending its interests and the integrity of the competitions.”
According to León Weinstock, lawyer for the Manudos, the panorama is uncertain: “The arguments of the initial parties were presented, the evidence and the closing arguments, a manifestation of the party, were evacuated. To advance a result would be irresponsible. We will have to wait for a decision from TAS. We hope it will be before the World Cup, but a timeline is difficult to confirm. Deliberation is in their hands. The process is now complete. We believe we have the right. We have to wait for the resolution of the Court, which we will respect.”
“I cannot make any predictions. We are reasonably satisfied that we have been heard and now the work is in the hands of the arbitration panel. We have done our work, exposed our well-founded reasons. At least we have been given the opportunity to explain ourselves,” added his partner Alberto Ruiz.
Possible outcomes
How can the conflict between León and Alajuelense be resolved, for a place in the Club World Cup?
According to the explanation of Diego Rodríguez Zamora, a lawyer specializing in sports law, there are several hypothetical scenarios:
- LDA’s claim is accepted and declared with place due to the existence of multi-ownership before the start of the Club World Cup, and the CAS instructs FIFA to exclude one of the two teams (Pachuca or León) from the competition, allowing LDA to occupy its place.
- LDA’s claim is accepted and declared with place due to the existence of multi-ownership after the start of the Club World Cup, and the CAS instructs FIFA to compensate LDA for the damages caused.
- LDA’s claim is rejected as FIFA demonstrates that there is no multi-ownership, and everything remains as it is today.
- LDA’s claim is accepted, but it is determined that Inter Miami CF does not enter the equation of those eligible due to being a host city, and in its place a club better positioned in the ranking (Club América), not LDA, would enter.
In the event that it is resolved with place in favor of LDA, it cannot be overlooked that FIFA would continue to violate its own regulations, since there would continue to be the representation of 5 teams by CONCACAF.
Infantino’s hint
“For the case of León, the case will be decided by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on May 5 or 6, so in a couple of weeks we will have the final and definitive decision, of course we will respect,” said Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA himself, after a press conference at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in the city of Atlanta, one of the venues that will host the competition that will start on June 15.
And he added: “If the Court of Arbitration for Sport confirms the decision of the FIFA Appeals Committee, it is possibly to play a match, a playoff, between the team that lost the Champions final with León, which is LAFC and the next team in the ranking, which is América.”
The uncertainty surrounding León’s participation adds another layer of intrigue to the upcoming Club World Cup. The soccer world awaits the TAS decision, which is expected in early May.
