Argentine football clubs "expressed their concern with the delayed payments" from the Argentine FA Normalization Committee, which had agreed to pay 350M Argentine pesos ($22M) in December, according to OLÉ. The clubs said in a statement, "The first division clubs signing this statement want to express that the financial situation we face due to the committee's failure to pay the TV rights has become dramatic." The clubs said that the "concern is major" and that the "failure to pay the agreed sum leaves the institutions in danger of not making payments." The statement added that "the tens of thousands of Argentine workers who sustain themselves by working in the football industry could be affected." The clubs "also warned that it is difficult to plan the preseason and there is real uncertainty regarding starting next season on the scheduled dates." What is being demanded is the payment for December for the TV rights, equivalent to 350M Argentine pesos, "a sum that was agreed upon in August ... and Tuesday, it did not appear." The Normalization Committee "promised the clubs that it will manage this money with the government, but offered no exact date." San Lorenzo VP Marcelo Tinelli "also informed his colleagues" of an offer from ESPN for the TV rights to Argentine football. He said that the offer "was worth more" than the one made by Turner and Fox -- for 2.2B Argentine pesos ($140M), which is less than the 3.5B Argentine pesos ($220M) the Argentine execs are seeking (OLÉ, 12/20).
