Guerrero Olivos counsels Azul Azul, the company holding the concession of all assets owned by the professional football club “Universidad de Chile” regarding all legal matters, especially in sports law, corporate matters, real estate issues and litigation before FIFA’s jurisdictional entities and CAS. Azul Azul is a public corporation, especially created to manage, Universidad de Chile’s assets for a minimum of a 30 year period. Guerrero Olivos has been their legal counsel since early stages, participating in its incorporation, its private offering and then in its IPO, and in the assets allocation process, during Universidad de Chile’s insolvency status.
During the last period we have been focused in various arbitration procedures for the collection of unpaid debts for the transfer of football players and last week the CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport) issued a court ruling that favored our client. The dispute started on 2014 when we first filled a claim before FIFA’s Players' Status Committee to obtain payment from football team Jaguares de Chiapas de México, for the transfer of football player Isaac Diaz.
The first ruling rejected our claim, due that the Players' Status Committee did not understood the link between Azul Azul and football team Universidad de Chile. This made us file an appeal before the superior tribunal; CAS, based in Lausanne and to participate in an oral evidentiary hearing audience in Buenos Aires. After a long and complex written process and an oral hearing, the CAS, finally ruled to the benefit of Universidad de Chile, which is now entitled to receive full payment for the transfer of the football player. The arbitral ruling also established that Jaguares de Chiapas de Mexico has to pay interests, procedural costs and also other costs incurred for Universidad de Chile’s legal defense.
“This ruling is very relevant due that it altered previous FIFA’s jurisprudence that endangered legal entities as Azul Azul, as manager of football club Universidad de Chile. This due that Chilean Law permits and encourages football clubs to be managed by public corporations through the private concession system. Also, this is very significant because a large amount of Chilean football clubs are managed by these entities”. José Joaquín Laso. Lead partner of Guerrero Olivos’ sport & entertainment department
Counsel lists
Counsel to Azul Azul and Universidad de Chile. Chile. José Joaquín Laso, partner with Guerrero Olivos. Email: [email protected] Spain. Javier Ferrero, Partner with Senn Ferrero. Email: [email protected] and associate Iñigo de Lacalle, email: [email protected]
Date of closing
May 3, 2017
Deal value
US$ 1 million
Jurisdictions involved
Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players, and Rules governing the Procedures of the Players’ Status Committee and the Dispute Resolution Chamber, both of FIFA, Switzerland.