Football and business: commercial breaks controversial in Mexico

It is well known the increasing influence of television in football now in a time where the clubs are hard to find the necessary ways to generate revenue, the money contributed by the media becomes a necessity for survival. The problem, the power that this gives the small screen. In the case of Mexican soccer, the last chapter dealing with football and television has been a scandal in the group stage of the quarterfinals of the Torneo Clausura: the occasion to make two breaks, at minutes 25 and 70, for rehydration of the players, took advantage of television channels to cut emissions and make a commercial break one minute in each of them. "Circumstance or business? In Mexico we are very clear.

The Mexican Football Federation (Femexfut) agreed to the above breaks all the quarterfinal matches for the players could rehydrate properly. So far, everything seems normal as there is nothing unusual in leagues where the heat can take its toll on athletes. In some cases, the games at noon may exceed thirty degrees. The controversy is given when making breaks in games played between Cruz Azul and Atlante at nine o'clock at night, with twenty degrees and raining. Televisa, which owns the rights, used to make the resulting commercial breaks. It was agreed, but was it necessary?

The case becomes even more bizarre when even the players knew that the cuts would occur. Neither the medical heads of the clubs involved, surprised and puzzled by the measure. "If they are professional footballers do not need to rehydrate at night", say doctors in sports medicine specialists and trainers, who can not find medical justification for what happened.

The opinion is unanimous in Mexico: the cuts were pretreated for broadcasters to have the opportunity to insert advertising during the course of the parties. And it does not have much logic to implement the measure without knowing the circumstances in which they play each of the parties. The scandal has raised a huge cloud of dust on the American country and the center of the criticism is located on Televisa and TV Azteca, which is considered as the new owners of Mexican soccer.

And what does all this FIFA? One agency that has done the impossible because football does not change over its rules and has tried by all means, and in this I agree, that there are no breaks for 45 minutes each time. FIFA would vote on these controversial and enforce the rules of the game without allowing events such as occurred in Mexico, which are a good example in world football.

It would be a controversial and complicated that came to European football, not because there is no greed, or anything, but because here there would be no excuse for a needed break for rehydration. However, little by little we see televisions benefit from some break during the game to devote space to display advertising. At the moment a grain of sand in the desert, but something that can go further.

Could we have a football future as F1, where commercial breaks are dedicating a small corner, even without sound, to what happens on the track? And do not tell me that in this competition more times without interest, because that will be enough advertising you have to do in a small box the most significant event of the race while listening to a substitute for Sylvester Stallone to say that crushes prices or Kurkovski Alexei cinematic virtues.

Right now it looks impossible, but the television season invest more money in football and thus, their rights seem larger. At the end of the day, football is in crisis and the large sums of money are always welcome. Just hope that what happened in Mexico and the Aztec fan reaction, which states deceived, serving to avoid becoming a bad habit.

PS: Thanks to Rodolfo for the warning.
Photo | Gualtiero