The owners of the 18 Mexican first-division football clubs voted Monday to bar one person or one company from owning more than one team, according to the AP. The vote "was an apparent move to stop tycoon Carlos Slim from expanding his growing influence" in Mexican football. Mexico broadcasters Televisa and TV Azteca "have in the past owned multiple first-division teams" but the issue was not brought up until after Slim ventured into Mexican football in September. Mexican Soccer League President Decio de Maria would not comment on the decision except to say the consensus was to ban multi-ownership. De Maria: "I think it's always time to analyze where you stand, and where you are going especially. Being able to make decisions unanimously is critical for the league." Slim "last year bought 30 percent of the shares in the Leon and Pachuca teams through his telecommunications company America Movil. In December, he bought all the shares of the second division team Estudiantes Tecos." The rule implemented Monday will not require Slim to sell one of his first division teams, but the vote stops him from buying any more (AP, 5/21).
DE MARIA HIGHLIGHTS RESULTS: FRONTERA reported de Maria highlighted the most important results from Monday's meetings, focusing on 10 key points. Among other things, De Maria pointed out his vision for his league, "with each owner having only one team," "the goal to reach his vision in five years" and the idea that "owners with more than one team will only get one assembly vote." De Maria also explained that "if an owner has a Mexican League team and a lower-level team that gets promoted to the Mexican League, the owner of the recently promoted team will have three years to sell that club" (FRONTERA, 5/20).
