Today they are hand in hand but some years ago they got into a lawsuit this ended with the merengue team being suspended and facing a court case.
The beginning of the season is usually not quiet at the Universitario de Deportes. 13 years ago, the cream team announced a sponsorship deal with the airline Star Peru. This contract, initially advantageous for the Meringues, triggered a dispute with the Professional Football Sports Association (ADFP). Unthinkable at the moment, as both parties – together with the Futbol Perú Consortium – are fighting with the Peruvian Football Federation (FPF) for the television rights.
The discord began in February 2010. For the decentralized of this year, the ADFPthe then organizer of the Peruvian tournament, signed an agreement with LAN (today Latam). This agreement provides that the Chilean airline will sponsor and transport all teams during the tournament. In the Cream Box, the managers found a better deal with greater benefits and opted for a separate deal with Star Peru.
What has been established by the agreement signed between Universitario and Star Peru?
In an interview with the newspaper El Bocón, Diego Sarro – then commercial director of Star Peru – said that the sponsorship signed between the airline and the Merengue team is valid for the whole of 2010. 55 seats on their planes during the club’s trips.
Duel for Libertadores in which the U bore the emblem of Star Peru. Photo: AFP
Also, one of the Star Peru ships would carry the U’s logo and transport the student body through the U on their trips abroad Libertadores Cup. In return, the cast of Ate would sport the airline’s branding on their jersey sleeves and back. From this last point arose the confrontation between the creams and Star Peru, since the back of the jacket of the Peruvian clubs had to feature LAN.
The punishment of the ADFP to the ‘U’
After a meeting in early March 2010, the ADFP decided to ban Universitario from the tournament as long as he wore the Star Peru logo on his jersey. A total of 12 of the then 16 clubs voted for the disqualification; Alliance of Lima, Johann Aurich j Sports Huancayo they abstained.
This suspension did not last long, as after a few days the FPF issued an order rescinding the sentence. Of course, the largest entity in Peruvian football has ordered those involved to submit to arbitration. He also ordered Universitario not to wear the Star Peru logo on his shirt until the arbitration was resolved.
How was the problem solved?
After the measure passed by the FPF, the “U” decided to “reverse” the punishment: to show the airline’s symbol on a banner when the first photo of each meeting is taken. However, in September 2010, the club’s Transitory Board, which took over the cream team, voided the contract with Star Peru and began displaying the LAN logo.
The problem didn’t end when Star Peru cracked down on the Universitario de Deportes: they denounced the Meringues before the 26th Lima Provincial Attorney’s Office for unlawful association to commit a crime, improper release and crimes against public faith. According to the complaint, the “U” could not fulfill the contract because – as a member of the ADFP – it had already signed with LAN.
University student wearing the LAN logo on his shirt. Photo: LR
Whatever the reason, Star Peru noted that they acknowledged and paid the debt from the ‘U’. However, they indicated that Universitario tried to settle that obligation with two bottomless checks. The defendants in this case were Julio Pacheco, Cesar Huaman, Eduardo Guinea, Gino Pinasco and Hugo Curotto.