We Still Don’t Know How Bad It Is

Well, first and foremost, Gamboa did resign, saying that he couldn’t betray anyone or himself. Whatever that means. Loyalty is admirable, when it is to the right things, not to a rat bastard thief like Eduardo Lopez.

The club is basically bankrupt. There is 180 thousand pesos from the money collected on Sunday. The rest of the money that socios paid to vote, some 300,000 pesos is gone. There isn’t a penny in the accounts of Newell’s. The administrative staff hasn’t been paid in months, nor have the players. Their checks for October actually bounced.

The complex in Ricardone is in the name of an individual, not Newell’s. I don’t know when they started using it. Since I have been a fan it has been there. If it was purchased during Eduardo’s time, I am sure it is a total loss. If it predated him, maybe there is a chance to recover it. They don’t know yet about the ownership status of Bella Vista or the Islas Malvinas complexes.

Nothing is left in the stadium offices. Lopez even took the desks. The cables for the missing security cameras are themselves missing, as are any kind of electronic device. No surprise here but not even the contracts with the players remain. Lawyers for Mo Le are heading to the AFA and making copies. It is quite possible (and strongly rumored) that members of the barra own a couple of players. We’re about to find out.

Of course all accounting records are gone. No one knows the extent of Newell’s debt or to whom it is owed. There is even the possibility of Lopez being one of the creditors. New president Guillermo Lorente promises a thorough investigation and a transparent report detailing the current status of the club and then basically it will have to be re-founded.

The stadium itself hasn’t been maintained in some time, so structural engineers will be evaluating it for any potential dangers. After that, it will get a good cleaning, basic maintenance and a coat of paint.

Now, here in the US, Lope$ would go to jail for fraud and theft of club property. But I know how things work in South America, and I am going to guess that if anything he will have to turn over the financial records, carefully doctored before being returned sometime in 2010. But as far as an actual penalty, I am guessing there will be none, or a small fine that he probably won’t pay.

He no longer has the influence he used to. The judges he used to bribe have retired, as well as his government functionaries. Binner and Lifschitz are still around, but his hold on them is slipping. In the end he didn’t have enough left to prevent losing the club, but he still has what it takes to prevent going to jail.

Oh yeah, he didn’t even have the balls to congratulate Lorente or even personally acknowledge the defeat. I’m sure he’ll be under fire for some time to come for how he left the club and what he did to it, and might I suggest getting used to being under fire because I hear that Hell is a mighty warm place.

Category: Team News

Tags: Team News

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