Club presses Grêmio, weighs FIFA action over debt; details | OneFootball

Transfer Ban Threat: River Plate-URU prepares action at FIFA against Grêmio over Arezo

Grêmio could face headaches behind the scenes in the coming weeks. River Plate of Uruguay is expected to send a formal notice to the Porto Alegre club this Monday demanding payment of a debt involving striker Matías Arezo.

If the amount is not paid, the Uruguayan club plans to take the case to FIFA, which could result in a transfer ban — a punishment that prevents Grêmio from signing and registering new players until the debt is settled.

💰 The origin and amount of the debt

The Amount: The current claim is US$100,000 (around R$505,000 at the current exchange rate).

The Reason: River Plate-URU owns 50% of Arezo’s economic rights. Recently, Grêmio renewed the striker’s loan to Peñarol for a total of US$400,000 (split into two installments). By right, half of that amount belongs to River.

The Delay: The agreement stated that Grêmio had to pass on the Uruguayans’ share within 15 days after receiving payment from Peñarol. The US$100,000 now being charged refers to half of the first installment, which has already been overdue for about 30 days. The second installment is due this June.

🛡️ Grêmio’s position

Despite the risk of a FIFA ban, the mood behind the scenes at the Porto Alegre club is calm. Grêmio’s board views the amount as “small” by football financial standards and says it sees no reason for concern. The internal expectation is that the debt will be paid before any sporting sanction is imposed.

This is not the first time this partnership has caused this kind of friction. In January this year, Grêmio had to pay €151,500 (around R$943,000 at the time) to the same River Plate-URU, referring to Arezo’s first loan, precisely to avoid the feared transfer ban.

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

📸 SILVIO AVILA - AFP or licensors