The three national titles won by Deportivo Quito in four years (2008, 2009, 2011) are definitely the most expensive for a professional soccer club in Ecuador. Each Olympic run of the Chullas, from the one that ended a 40-year uncelebrated streak to the one that capped a brief but triumphant run, has led to team debt problems, unpaid coaches, suspensions and foreclosures at home. The administrative lack of control was for a time covered by success.

FIFA forces Deportivo Quito and Liga de Portoviejo to pay debts with coaches

Today, the crisis is not going away. It gets worse. Quito failed to overturn the suspension of the Ecuadorian Football Association on Friday, and the match they will play this Sunday in the second division competition in Pichincha will not allow them to earn points, in the event of a win or a draw, due to disability.

Deportivo Quito, farewell in professionalism with historical Ecuadorian football

Quito’s board explained in a statement that the punishment was “due to an internal conflict and interest on the part of the Association of Footballers of Ecuador (AFE) and its lawyers.” It is added that “despite the suspension” chullasi will perform in the second category obligation.

What is your best memory of Rubén Daría Insúa from his time at Barcelona SC?

‘Floating’

But later, a letter from Deportivo Quito leaves this disturbing message: “When situations like this happen, they not only prevent us from being able to correct our obligations, but leave our noble institution in the lurch.”

Among several pending commitments, the chullas have one from 2012 with Chilean coach Nelson Acosta. The Azulgrana entity had “unfulfilled” payment contracts, so the case reached FIFA, which published an opinion a week earlier and established the obligation to respect the capital team.

The ruling by FIFA’s Football Tribunal states that, for breaching the 2020 contract of employment they had in 2012, the club must pay $69,519, plus 5% per annum, bringing the total to $95,619. Quito has 45 days to “pay in full” to Acosta; Otherwise, the case, “at the request of the interested party, will be forwarded to the FIFA Disciplinary Commission”, which has ordered five times before that the five-time champion of Ecuador be demoted to amateur football for the same reason.

From B to another

Disaster struck in 2015, with relegation to Serie B and Deportivo Quito sinking into a sea of ​​debt. From then on, terrible chapters followed one after another. On 9 September 2016, the FEF notified the loss of the blaugranas’ sporting rights due, for a change, to non-payment of debts. The board at the time did not pay the various creditors or present any payment agreement, within the deadline set by the FEF Executive Board.

The Disciplinary Commission applied Article 78 of its regulations, which determined the loss of the Quito category, i.e. the automatic relegation from Series B to the second provincial league. “This is the second game he will not be able to play this year, so he loses the category,” reported Ecuafútbol.

Álex Aguingana, the symbol of the La Plaza del Teatro team, commented at the time: “People are angry with the creditors, but it is not their fault that they signed the contract. And what about the directors?” OK thanks. No problem. Leaders must take responsibility for every signature, every contract. Deportivo Quito has suffered for years from being ‘bleeded’ by passers-by who are still in football. The leaders are to blame for Quito’s downfall.”

For the amateur circuit

In September 2014, the chullas president, Santiago Ribadeneira, reported that the deficit was around $20 million. Back then, in 2015, it was said to be nearly $12 million.

On December 5, 2018, the blow came: at the behest of FIFA, Deportivo Quito went down to amateur football. “It’s almost a penalty for disappearance,” EL UNIVERSO reported. With the resolution of the FIFA Disciplinary Commission, the FEF was ordered to “downgrade” the Plaza del Teatro institution to a lower category. And so Deportivo Quito, who played in the second division of Pichincha that year, fell into the circle of amateur football.” This solution is due to a debt from 10 years ago that was contracted by the irresponsible leaders who brought in Martín Andrizzi and did not pay him. It is difficult to assume this situation, but the fans must understand that Deportivo Quito will not die. We are all responsible and together we will show it to the team,” said Juan Manuel Aguirre, club president at that disastrous moment.

This newspaper reported in December 2018: “Another paradoxical element of the story will be that the debt owed to an unreputed player at the club, the Argentine who left no mark, Martín Andrizzi, is the trigger for FIFA’s decision after three years of institutional tragedy that began with relegation to series B, and then relegation to the second category, full of point penalties due to accumulated debts. (D)