Reinaldo Sánchez, former ANFP and Santiago Wanderers president, dies

Chilean football is mourning the death of Reinaldo Sánchez Olivares, a prominent sports executive who passed away at age 82. Sánchez was the current president and owner of Santiago Wanderers and a former president of both the Asociación Nacional de Fútbol Profesional (ANFP) and the Federación de Fútbol de Chile, serving in the latter roles between 2001 and 2006.

During his tenure at Santiago Wanderers, Sánchez oversaw significant achievements, including the 1995 Primera B title, the 1999 runner-up position, and the 2001 Primera División championship. He also spearheaded the development of the club's Mantagua sports complex. As president of the ANFP, one of his most notable legacies was the 2003 creation of the Canal del Fútbol (CDF), which transformed the commercialization and broadcasting of professional football in Chile.

Sánchez had been hospitalized at the Clínica Reñaca due to a serious underlying illness, which had kept him away from public duties and prevented him from accompanying the Santiago Wanderers U-20 team to Spain for their Intercontinental Cup match against Real Madrid. Various Chilean football institutions, including Colo-Colo and Universidad de Chile, have expressed their condolences.