GUADALAJARA, Mexico – The future of former Vancouver Whitecaps striker Camilo Sanvezzo and Liga MX outfit Querétaro is in doubt after club owner Amado Yáñez’s company Oceanografía had its assets impounded Friday following allegations of high-scale fraud from US banking conglomerate Citigroup.
Camilo and his teammates haven’t been paid for a month due to the ongoing investigation by the Mexican government, sporting vice president Claudio Suárez confirmed to local Querétaro radio station Radar on Wednesday, and coach Ignacio Ambríz admitted in a press conference Friday that the situation was concerning.
The Liga MX has yet to make a statement on the matter, but Querétaro's game at DaMarcus Beasley's Puebla on Sunday is set to go ahead as scheduled.
Citigroup’s Mexican subsidiary, Banamex, allegedly agreed to loan Oceanografía $400 million off the back of invoices that were falsified, according to a report from Reuters.
Yáñez – who denied on his Twitter account earlier in the week that Querétaro were for sale or would be moved – bought the old Jaguares franchise in May 2013 and moved it to Querétaro after the old team was relegated.
Liga MX rules are vague on what the next step is, with Article 66 (d) of the Mexican soccer federation’s (FMF) affiliation statutes indicating that while a club could lose its Liga MX status due to an owner committing “acts of criminal or dubious reputation,” it falls to the Liga MX executive committee to decipher what fits into that category.
Camilo – the MLS Golden Boot winner last season – has been caught up in the middle of the storm. He is yet to feature for the club, following the controversial transfer from the Whitecaps in January, due to an injury.
Tom Marshall covers Americans playing in Latin America for MLSsoccer.com. E-mail him at tom.marshall.mex@gmail.com.
