America's Bauer Blames Veracruz For Botched Deal

Club America President Michel Bauer responded to Cuauhtemoc Blanco's accusations against America's front office.

Dec 28, 2009 9:41:10 PM

More On :  America
Michel Bauer- America (Mexsport)
Reinaldo Navia touched off a series of insults between his would-be teammate Cuauhtemoc Blanco and Club America without ever having played a minute for Veracruz.

America held up and ultimately derailed Veracruz's intentions of adding Navia to their roster and Blanco initially did not take kindly to his former team's tactics.
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America President Michel Bauer said his former employee was off base in his comments.

"What Cuauhtemoc said is upsetting," Bauer told reporters. "He is a symbol of America. We don't understand where he is coming from with these false accusations. He played here 11 years, won a championship and we've always facilitated him everything he needed."

Blanco lashed out at America officials, mainly club vice president Yon de Luisa. Blanco said de Luisa did not have players' best interests in minds and had had run-ins with youngsters before.

But Bauer said if that were true, Blanco would never have been able to have enjoyed the freedom he had in leaving America and twice returning to Mexico.

"He went to the Chicago Fire, came and played some games with Santos and now is with Veracruz," he said. "In none of those three moves did deny him nor asked for one peso for the moves. This institution has opened the doors and has supported him in everything."


At the heart of the matter was America's handling of Veracruz's near-acquisition of Reinaldo Navia. Under the Gentlemen's Agreement, or Pacto de Caballeros, America claimed Navia's rights within Mexico and Veracruz would have had to pay a transfer fee for Navia's services.

"The rules have been established," he said. "Neither Club America nor this front office invented them. I didn't make them up. If you want to play in this federation, you have to play by the rules."

Bauer said Veracruz were the ones who botched the entire deal in the first place.

"I may or may not like these rules but while they exist, you must abide by them," he said. "Here, the problem is that (Veracruz) presented him, they signed him and then they wanted to talk to us."

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