CONMEBOL terminates contract with Datisa over corruption scandal

The South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) notified Datisa, a sports marketing company based in Argentine, of its decision to revoke the contract for the acquisition of Copa América 2019 and 2023, signed in 2013.
Conmenbol ends ties with Datisa over corruption scandal

This unilateral termination of the contract by Conmebol was due to the acts of corruption that shook international football in May 2015 and of which the agency was a victim.

The decision comes at a time when the US Department of Justice has completed the investigation phase during which several members of the Board of Directors of Datisa pleaded guilty to committing acts of corruption to obtain the rights of sponsorship and retransmission property of Conmebol. Therefore, the entity has evidence to support the termination of the contract and thus cut the links definitively.

Three ex-presidents of the organization face accusations: the Paraguayans Nicolás Leoz and Juan Angel Napout, as well as the Uruguayan Eugenio Figueredo.

Alejandro Dominguez, president of Conmebol, said, “Since I took office as president, the new Conmebol has launched a series of legal actions to break ties with the old traps and begin a new era of open and professional marketing that generates more value for South American football.”

“Conmebol has been demanding from Datisa SA for more than a year, without conditions and at zero cost, the return of sponsorship and dissemination rights that they acquired through acts of corruption.” He further added.

This action is part of the integral reform agenda led by Domínguez, who was chosen by the national federations to preside over Conmebol in January 2016 with the mandate to clean up South American football.

“These gentlemen have admitted to the American courts that they have paid bribes to former Conmebol officials so that Datisa could obtain the rights that are owned by the regional body. In an absurd and desperate attempt to continue to profit with rights that they obtained illegally and corruptly, Datisa and its shareholders insist on hiding behind a corporate veil.” Dominguez said in the statement by Conmebol.