November 7, 2024, 7:44 PM
November 7, 2024, 7:44 PM
The sports director of the Peruvian Football Federation (FPF), Juan Carlos Oblitas, commented this Thursday that the institution has been “hurt” after the arrest of its president, Agustín Lozano, for the alleged irregular use of resources in illicit acts. Just a few days away from the double qualifying date for the 2026 World Cup.
In a press conference, Oblitas said that it is “logical” that this situation affects the work of the Peruvian soccer team and that this is what worries him the most at the moment.
“I am here because of the selection, we have expenses to make, payments to make and there are two people who are in charge of this issue and they are in preventive detention,” said the manager in relation also to the arrest of other workers of the Peruvian federation.
Oblitas added that he is also part of the Federation and “it is logical to have distrust”, but that what interests him, at this moment, “is to give support and support” to the Bicolor before the matches with Chile and Argentina.
“I have to have meetings with the people who have remained on the board” about how they can sustain the institutionalized progress of the federation, said the former Peruvian coach.
Regarding the reaction of the national team’s technical director, Jorge Fossati, Oblitas said that “he is shocked”, but what has him most mortified is the fact that the home of the match against Chile has been changed to the Monumental stadium. in the Ate district.
In that sense, he criticized that, a week before the match, the Peruvian authorities had reported that they would not provide guarantees for the match to take place at the National Stadium, as planned, but at the Monumental, due to the holding of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders’ summit.
Oblitas expressed that “we have to get into the heads of the people who manage us” to understand that decision and insisted that his concern is that the soccer team can work calmly with a view to the matches with Chile and Argentina.
Lozano was arrested this Thursday by the anti-corruption prosecutor’s office and agents of the National Police of Peru (PNP) in compliance with a court order of detention for 15 days, which also included the presidents of Sporting Cristal, Joel Raffo, and of the Cantolao Academy, Karen Mandriotti, as well as other leaders linked to national football.
During the operation, the home of the president of the federation was raided, in the Lima district of San Borja, and the FPF facilities in the National Sports Village (Videna), in the district of San Luis.
The raid and break-in were carried out as part of the investigation of the alleged commission of the crimes of fraud in the administration, corruption and money laundering.
The Prosecutor’s Office is developing this investigation due to alleged misuse of FPF resources and the alleged delivery of favors to some national clubs, as well as an accusation of reselling tickets and trips to the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
Local media reported that, in addition to Lozano, seven other people were arrested, including managers of national teams and FPF workers, and that twelve properties were also raided in the cities of Lima, Tumbes, Piura, Chiclayo, Chachapoyas and Huánuco.
The RPP radio station detailed that those detained also include Raffo and Mandriotti, in addition to the secretary of the FPF, Sabrina Martin Zamalloa; the former secretary of the FPF, Jean Marcel; FPF accountant Fredy Salazar; and the president of the Tumbes League, Humberto Miñán.
