«On the Brink of Slavery»: Journalist Juan Cristóbal Guarello Exposes Serious Abuses by Major Football Clubs Against Second Division Teams Over Training Rights

Original article: «Al borde de la esclavitud»: Periodista Juan Cristóbal Guarello acusa graves abusos de clubes grandes a equipos de Segunda por los «derechos de formación»

In his latest column titled «A Shame,» journalist Juan Cristóbal Guarello sheds light on a series of abuses perpetrated by the so-called «big clubs» in Chilean football against teams in the Professional Second Division regarding the charges for what are known as «training rights.»

This legal clause aims to economically compensate the teams where a player was formed and developed, granting them a percentage of money when the athlete signs their first professional contract and during any international transfers until the player turns 23.

Unfortunately, Guarello argues that the application of this rule by national clubs such as Colo-Colo has become «madness» and has left hundreds of footballers «on the brink of slavery.»

In the article published on the En Cancha website, the sports journalist highlights that «one of the most unfair and despicable things in the realm of the ANFP, in an activity that has typically been abusive, is the collection of training rights that clubs impose on former youth players and exploit the teams in the Second Professional Division.»

«The numbers are so outrageous that they seem unreal; moreover, the number of players unable to pursue their profession counts in the hundreds,» the professional added.

As examples, Guarello cited the case of Colo-Colo, which «has sued Provincial Osorno for over $200,000—yes, you read that right—for a former youth player that fortune placed in the milk company during the 2023 season. Similarly, Colo-Colo was favored by a ruling from the ‘very lenient to the powerful’ Property Affairs Tribunal, which obligates Real San Joaquín to pay $35,000 for a young man raised in Pedrero who fate led to the Second Professional Division.»

However, Guarello noted that things went worse for Rengo, which must pay Audax Italiano $118,000 for another former youth player trained in La Florida.

According to the journalist, this situation arises because the rule in Chile is «insane, almost slave-like. The ANFP calculated that each year in youth series costs about $30,000. So, if a young player is hired by a Second Professional team and spent 8 years in the youth system of a first or ascending club, they must pay $240,000 in training rights. For reference, in Peru, it is $500 per year and in Argentina, around $700,» Guarello pointed out.

Right to Work

The revealed case is particularly concerning as it affects the right to work for athletes whose salaries are significantly lower than those of their first division counterparts.

«We are talking about footballers who earn $500 and $600 a month being denied their freedom to act unless they pay hundreds of thousands of dollars. These are men who were discarded by their parent clubs years ago but remain chained by a regulation on the brink of slavery,» Guarello reiterated.

«It is not only unjust to charge usurious training rights to the teams in the dying third category of Chilean football, but also that the players themselves remain tied to their former clubs and can never gain autonomy in their profession and lives,» the communicator emphasized.

The full column is available on the En Cancha.cl HERE

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