Zacatecas club rejects franchise route to top flight, demands sporting promotion
Mineros de Zacatecas vice president Eduardo López said the club will not purchase a Liga MX franchise and will continue pushing for promotion based on sporting merit. The team has invested over 100 million pesos in training facilities to meet league certification standards. López expressed frustration that the promised promotion pathway has not been fulfilled.
The club's vice president Eduardo López detailed their substantial infrastructure investment at Ciudad Deportiva Tierra Adentro, exceeding 100 million pesos. The complex includes three natural-grass pitches serving the first team, a Sub-21 squad in Liga Premier, plus Sub-17 and Sub-18 categories, alongside a gym, dining hall, offices, and locker rooms built to federation certification standards.
López described how a proposed joint project with a major global consulting firm revealed the federation's true stance. During owner interviews, questions focused on alternatives to promotion rather than pathways to achieve it, confirming the club's suspicion that the promised sporting merit system would not materialize. The club remains committed to fighting for a legitimate promotion pathway.
This dispute could affect fans of second-division clubs across Mexico who have invested emotional and financial support in teams seeking legitimate promotion. The outcome may influence how lower-division clubs approach facility investment and whether they continue pursuing sporting merit or accept franchise models. It could also shape broader conversations about competitive integrity in Mexican soccer, potentially impacting club valuations, sponsorship decisions, and fan trust in league governance.