Juan Pablo Pavez, former director of Azul Azul: "La U must recover its soul; it's important that it not have a single controlling owner"

Juan Pablo Pavez has always been one of the dissenting voices on the board of Azul Azul. Allied with the Schapira family, he tried to form a bloc that would serve as a counterweight to the wing led by Michael Clark, which was larger and more powerful due to its shareholding presence in the company. He has strongly criticized, for example, what he considers a relationship between the blues and Huachipato. Now, he is closely watching two phenomena: first, the fall of the former chairman, currently in pretrial detention as part of the Sartor case, and then, the decision by liquidator Eduardo Godoy to remove the board chaired by Cecilia Pérez. More than once, he has shown himself willing to gather a group of professionals linked to the university to take control of the club. Juan Pablo Pavez, former director of Azul Azul: "La U must recover its soul; it is important that it not have a single controlling shareholder" "I think the measure is perfect, since I never considered this board valid. Not all of them, but many do know the whole truth about the transactions. With that background, plus the total lack of collaboration with the university, it was logical that this would happen someday," he tells El Deportivo. "I have been reporting everything that has been happening for a long time. The truths are coming to light, not because of the board or the accused, but because of the evidence in the case. If the liquidator has a tool to make the fans believe in the club again, it is right that he uses it," he adds. Along those lines, he points to the goal the process should have. "La U has to recover its soul, and it is extremely important that it not have a single controlling shareholder. That has done us a lot of damage. It has been happening for 12 or 15 years and it cannot go on. Ownership should be diluted, with the fans even being part of it. And it should be people from la U, because there are people from la UC here. There is a board member who, until age 25, used to go watch Católica," he states. Cecilia Pérez, president of Azul Azul. (Photo: Photosport) DIEGO MARTIN/ATON CHILE "This change has to involve giving the club an identity: diluted ownership, fan participation, social responsibility. La U has a lot of children. It is not about the football side; it is nutrition, education, psychologists for the children it is developing. It is social work," he insists. The reflection includes the sins of Azul Azul. "Lying. There are several related-party transactions. Information was hidden from us. We were given biased information. Quite a few deals were made with coaches," says Pavez. And, of course, Michael Clark's situation. "Seeing a person deprived of liberty is not a cause for joy, but this is serious. It saddens me that la U is involved in these things. And it saddens me even more that they keep trying to take over la U, like when (Patrick) Kiblisky passes the money to Correa to take over la U. These people should grab their things and go somewhere else," he points out. Weintraub's view Andrés Weintraub admits he is going through difficult times. The electrical civil engineer is one of the two representatives of the university on Azul Azul. "I am very worried about everything that is happening. It is the hardest thing I have experienced as a director, given everything that has come out in the press over these last few years," he admits. Then, he responds to a possible naivety on the part of the intervenor in trying to resolve the long-standing conflict between the concessionaire and the university. "I don't know. Whether the removal of the board should have happened earlier, I don't know either. But the explanation he has given now is that he saw it as difficult to reach an agreement. That fits for me. I don't want to go into details of the board's private conversations, but I get the impression that the positions of both sides were very far apart," he explains. "There was no proposal, only opinions. I, in a minority position, have been opposed all along to what was being proposed. I did not agree with most of the board's opinions," he maintains. Regarding the sale of Azul Azul, he is categorical. "For me, it is very important that the new buyers be fans of la U, that they be supporters of the club and that they be committed to the club doing well in its social and sporting objectives for the millions of fans who follow the club. That should be their main objective," he emphasizes. "That an investment fund bought it, which has another very legitimate objective, should not happen. An investment fund is there so that investors make money. Those who come in must think about the club's social and sporting objective; they should be fans of la U. Clearly, the filter must be improved," he adds, referring to the previous process. Along those lines, he shows optimism about the possibility of Universidad de Chile taking away the club's name. "Let's hope that doesn't happen, that it doesn't go to legal proceedings. The departure of the board can decompress all of this." He is, however, unsettled by the possible loss of sponsors, such as the negotiation with Betano, which led to a dispute with Adidas. "We are living through an uncertainty that, the sooner it is clarified, the better for everyone. I believe that once the board is set and things move forward, all these conflicts will be resolved. It is evident that uncertainty generates negative effects," he concludes. He also hopes the entanglements will not tarnish the institution's centennial. "I hope not; I want to think not. I hope that by that date all these problems will have been solved and that la U will once again be the team it has always been," he concludes. NEWSLETTER El Deportivo Monday, 8:45 AM A special selection with coverage and analysis of the most important sporting events of the weekend, by the Sports team of La Tercera. By signing up, you are accepting the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policies of La Tercera.