Mexican football faces legal battles over promotion and Club Puebla asset seizure

Mexican professional football faces significant legal and legislative challenges regarding the promotion and relegation system. The Mexican Football Federation (FMF) is preparing legal arguments to address proceedings before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) involving five Liga de Expansión MX clubs. Simultaneously, the FMF is responding to an antitrust investigation concerning competitive conditions in professional football.

In the Mexican Senate, a legislative initiative has been proposed to amend Article 50 of the General Law of Physical Culture and Sport. The proposal seeks to mandate permanent promotion and relegation mechanisms for sports associations with multiple professional categories, emphasizing sporting merit.

Compounding these structural debates, Club Puebla is facing a severe financial crisis. A judge in Puebla ordered the seizure of bank accounts and assets belonging to Operadora de Escenarios Deportivos, the entity managing the club, following a lawsuit by former owner Ricardo Henaine. The claim seeks 223.6 million pesos, and the court has instructed the National Banking and Securities Commission to locate the funds to satisfy the legal demand.