December 16 – Juan Carlos Rodríguez, the president of Liga MX and the Mexican Football Federation (FMF), resigned on Friday during a meeting of Liga MX club owners who disagreed with his proposed investment strategy for the league.
Team owners rejected a proposed $1.25 billion investment from Apollo Global Management that would have seen the league’s clubs pool broadcast and certain commercial rights. Mexican clubs sell their own broadcast and commercial rights independently.
Rodríguez (pictured), who as well as being the FA president was also commissioner of Liga MX, had reportedly told insiders before the meeting that if the clubs didn’t vote for the deal then he would resign.
A controversial president Rodriguez was only elected in May of 2023. He succeeded Yon De Luisa who did not seek re-election after Mexico were eliminated in the group stage of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Both Rodriguez and De Luisa were former Grupo Televisa executives.
The FMF announced that Liga MX president Mikel Arriola will be interim commissioner.
“The Assembly requested the Interim Commissioner to form a committee of 10 teams in January to continue negotiations with the investment fund, with a special emphasis on strengthening the corporate governance, and move forward with the transformation project for our football,” said an FMF statement.
No vote was taken on the Apollo investment that would need unanimous support from all 18 clubs to go ahead. Ariola has previously said that centralising rights was a goal to be worked towards but set a date of 2028 as being the earliest it would take place.
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