Atlante, restructuring with a view to the First Division

The Atlante club works to return to the First Division. With the mission of restructuring in the sporting aspect, starting from the development of its basic strengths and women’s categories, as well as financially and looking for an avid hobby, the team returned to Mexico City where it has found stability.

In an interview with El Economista, Emilio Escalante, owner of the Colts since July 2020, explained that the club began a few months ago with the development of its basic forces and women’s branch, which aims to be a true seedbed that nurtures the first team . Currently they have about 12 academies from which they are already looking to play under the Atlante system.

After the former president of Liga MX, Enrique Bonilla, announced the suspension of the promotion in 2020 and the implementation of the Expansion League, the club has worked on restructuring itself in sports and economics to promote once the doors. According to the current president of the circuit, Mikel Arriola, this will be possible from the 2022-2023 season, provided that the certification requirements are met.

After the former president of Liga MX, Enrique Bonilla, announced the suspension of the promotion in 2020 and the implementation of the Expansion League, the club has worked on restructuring itself in sports and economics to promote once the doors. According to the current president of the circuit, Mikel Arriola, this will be possible from the 2022-2023 season, provided that the certification requirements are met.

In the financial aspect, the club is supported by 70% by the subsidy they are receiving from the League, which according to what was announced in June 2020, consists of a support of 20 million pesos per year. The remaining 30% is divided between the income from broadcasting rights, ticketing and sponsors. The club has eight business partners as shown on its website and, according to the owner of the club, some more were waiting for the news of the return of the promotion: “for them it is important to come up with you.”

The club has also closed five player sales to the Primera División, generating some additional revenue for them.

“Today we are very healthy financially in every way, the guys get paid every 28 days, the coaching staff the same. Our numbers are good, although it has been difficult because of the pandemic, but we have tried to be realistic with what the league and the statutes were asking us to fulfill that part. So in the future we are doing well financially, ”said the owner of the Colts.

Regarding the Ciudad de los Deportes Stadium, the team signed a first contract for two years, which means that it is valid until May 2022. However, the directors are considering meeting again with the owners of the venue to agree on a renewal contract.

According to Escalante, the stadium meets all the requirements for promotion and “if there were more modifications, they would be very small.” Upon arrival, the team remodeled the dressing rooms and a sponsor helped paint it.

“It has plenty of capacity, there are about 38,000 spectators; the tracks, it is a logistics of many years that people are already used to, they know how to get to the stadium. Another fundamental part is where it is located, the metrobus is walking two blocks away, people have many facilities to get there, there is parking and it is the tradition not only of the stadium, but of the Plaza México itself ”.

Escalante indicated that after his first season in the Expansion League, Atlante is not a business so it has been invested in it, “but at the end of the day we are in black numbers. It is very important to no longer be in the red or, as the situation has been, not to lose. We are a team that places five players in the First Division, these sales help us. Our sponsors are more interested, we have had support for the boys as prizes ”.

Since the start of the Expansion League, Atlante has ranked among the best teams in the main statistics, which makes it more attractive to sponsorships: in the Apertura 2021 it finished the regular phase in second place and is fighting for a pass. in the final, he had the fourth best offense and the best defense. The previous tournament culminated in seventh place and advanced to the semifinals. In the opening 2020, inaugural tournament, he finished runner-up and played the final where he fell against Tampico Madero.

In pursuit of his hobby

With six city changes in its history, the Atlante is the team with the most changes. He has been back in Mexico City for a year and a half, after a period of 13 years in Cancun, where fewer and fewer fans paid to see the team play. According to estimates by Emilio Escalante, between 600 and 700 people attended the last games of the Catalans at the Estadio Olímpico Andrés Quintana Roo stadium.

“We were very clear about returning the team to Mexico City, where it belongs and with its audience, we had to bring it back or else the team was dying.”

This season, Atlante was the team that called up the most fans in five of the 17 days of the Expansion League and the third team with the highest accumulated attendance in the regular phase with 20,770 people, only behind Venados, where the total attendance was of 28,404 fans in their nine home games and Raya2 Expansión, which amassed 22,275 spectators.

Why was the Ciudad de los Deportes Stadium chosen as the venue?

“The Ciudad de los Deportes stadium identifies a lot with the fans, with Atlante, they played there for many years. (…) We wanted to give back to the fans and our team that part, of identification with the stadium, that’s why we made that resolution, “said the owner.



Reference-www.eleconomista.com.mx

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