José Alonso: Not seeking revenge, just want the truth known | OneFootball

(Photo: El Litoral)

The president of Colón spoke after the unveiling of the new jersey and addressed the club’s economic situation, the conflict with Neris, inherited debts, and the sources of income currently sustaining the institution.

In an extensive conversation with the press, Alonso reviewed the current state of the club. He acknowledged that they are going through a process of reorganization after some complex months, although he highlighted the support from the fans and the expectations for the future.

“We know we’ve been through tough times and now people have a lot of hope. There’s a strong desire for Colón to achieve what it deserves,” he said. At the same time, he explained that the club still faces some administrative problems, but emphasized that the priority is to work calmly in order to make decisions. “We keep encountering situations, but we believe the club needs calm today to make decisions. Creating conflicts now doesn’t help,” he pointed out.

The need to increase the number of members

(Photo: Amilcar Orfali/LatinContent via Getty Images)

One of the points Alonso emphasized was the importance of increasing the membership base to sustain the club’s finances. As he explained, Colón currently has just over 30,000 members and the goal is to reach 40,000 to achieve financial stability.

“Today we’re within the 30,000 members. Colón needs about 40,000 to balance its finances,” he stated.

The president detailed that, in the current context, the club depends mainly on ordinary income such as membership fees and some marketing actions. He noted that at present, they do not have other usual resources in Argentine football, such as player transfers or participation in international competitions.

“Ordinary income comes from the members. Then there’s extraordinary income, like selling players, participating in cups, or television rights. Today we don’t have those sources, so members are fundamental,” he explained.

The conflict with Neris

Another topic addressed was the situation of Uruguayan player José Neris, who left the club amid a contractual dispute.

Colón decided to initiate legal action to defend the player’s federative rights. “The player left saying his departure was justified, but we don’t believe that’s the case. We’re going to use all legal resources because this is a case that cannot set a precedent,” he maintained.

He also criticized the handling by the player’s entourage and assured that the club will seek to take the case to the appropriate authorities if necessary.

Seizures and inherited debts

Club’s social headquarters

During the conference, he also referred to the account seizure the club suffered a few days ago. As he explained, the problem originated from a procedure linked to state assistance programs during the pandemic.

“It was a small amount that moved from the administrative area to the legal area and then to federal court. That caused the seizure,” he detailed. Alonso stated that the club has already made progress in resolving the issue and that only one administrative step remains to fully normalize the accounts.

“Everything is on track. The Central Bank needs to authorize the accounts, but the club is operating normally and all staff are up to date,” he assured.

Economic claims and negotiations

The president also confirmed that Colón is in talks with Platense over a debt related to the transfer of Leonel Picco. The club is trying to resolve the situation through dialogue, although he does not rule out pursuing other avenues if an agreement is not reached. “We are using all club-to-club resources, in good faith. But we have all the documentation to act if necessary,” he said.

He also mentioned debts inherited from the previous administration and announced that the board is working on an audit to present the club’s financial situation to the members.

“We want to explain how we received the club. We’re not seeking revenge, we just want people to know the reality,” he concluded.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.