Premier League side West Ham's Javier Hernández signaled that the Mexican footballers' association (AMFpro), which was announced on Saturday, "will seek a fairer deal for players in the country," according to Tom Marshall of ESPN.com. Liga MX side Club América's Oribe Peralta and Chivas' Carlos Salcido will be the presidents of the new association, which will "come into effect" on Oct. 16 in a "historic moment" for Mexican football. Hernández: "We want to try to obtain the greatest possible justice [in football]. Sometimes players suffer a lot of things and neither you nor us are aware. We'll take it step by step, [but] it isn't a game; we're looking for Mexican footballers, wherever they may be, to be protected so they can carry out their profession." Hernández stressed that the association is not "only for national team players, but also those further down the ladder." An independent association has "long been a goal for Mexican players and replaces the Players' Commission," which represented players but was "also under the umbrella" of the Mexican Football Federation (FMF). Some of the "commonly reported complaints about how the Mexico game is run" include the Pacto de Caballeros (Gentlemen's Pact), in which Liga MX club owners allegedly do not "allow players to move clubs domestically when their contract has run down." The Liga MX transfer system "is also the cause of some complaint," with a "draft" day for domestic-based movements sometimes allegedly resulting in players "being transferred without having given their permission." Former player Álvaro Ortiz was president of the Players' Commission and "will be in charge of the general running of the new association." He stressed that it will "eventually include 8,000 players" -- both male and female -- will have its own offices, offer free legal advice to players, scholarships for players' further education, a retirement saving fund and will be registered with the FIFPro World Players' Union (ESPN.com, 10/8).
