The news of the two Marathon players who decided to desert and stay in the United States afterwards the 5-0 loss to Portland Timbers in Oregon, shook Honduran football this Thursday. But the reasons for two catrachos athletes to make this drastic decision go beyond the football issue.
The two players who left the verdolaga team on American soil were the defender Carlos Perdomo (27 years old) and the young archer Luis Ortiz (23 years old).
Ortiz debuted with the Emeralds in March 2019 and is shaping up to be the owner of the bow in the future, but decided to leave everything behind because team did not meet his financial expectations and delays in payments.
Perdomo for his part explained that he stayed in Houston with the consent of the coaching staff, but will return to the country. However, Marathon said in a statement that both “disobeyed internal rules” and will proceed to “inform U.S. immigration authorities” and will notify TNAF of “violation of their contract for legal purposes.” corresponding “.
No need to condemn them
What happened led to a lot of criticism for both athletes on social media, but the sociologist Julio Navarro, Representative of the UPNFM, Asked not to condemn him for the determination they took.
“We should not be frightened and surprised that people who play for a football team in Honduras, that one sees that they have a higher economic value of income, are exempt from wanting to emigrate to the United States in search of better opportunities, the The truth is that at the moment, in most Honduran citizens, the idea persists that guaranteeing their life, their survival, is unfortunately an emigrant, “said Navarro, a sociologist and representative of the UPNFM.
For Navarro, the idea of emigrating from Honduras “is transversal at the generational and occupational level so” it is not surprising or condemning them. Everyone must respect their desire to excel. “
“It’s a very individual position that they see, taking advantage of a legal visit, they can look for other options by staying in the United States. We should understand, it’s a difficult situation that we Hondurans are going through.”
The sociologist indicates that the footballer sees many opportunities on American soil, including football.
“It is a cross-cutting aspiration throughout the social fabric in Honduras, because they do not feel that there is room for possibilities to be able to survive, develop and support their families. The other issue is that for footballers with a good level of competitiveness, the United States is a good place to make a living.Not only at the level of professional football, but at the amateur level we call the bureaucratic country.Here in bureaucratic football they earn good money, work the week and play the head of week where they withhold income of up to $ 500 per game over the weekend. These players need to be understood and not condemned, “he stressed.
Corruption, economic crisis and lack of vaccines, the triggers
The issue of immigration in Honduras has deep roots in corruption, crime and lack of opportunities.
Studies indicate that every day, 300 Hondurans embark on the march to travel about 2,500 kilometers in search of the “American dream.”
For most Honduran citizens, anything is better than staying in a country without much perspective, worn out by economic despair and corruption, drug trafficking and criminal gangs. To this is added the crisis caused by hurricanes I i Iota and lack of vaccines.
All this has led many to make the decision to leave the country in search of better opportunities and footballers are no exception.
“What a poor mentality we have, to bomb something that is a lie and do not share that politicians steal so many millions in hospitals, that only 2,000 vaccines have arrived and El Salvador is already vaccinating most people,” shoot Carlos Perdomo in their networks.
Salaries, one of the problems in Honduran football
In Honduras there is a misconception that football players are the ones who receive the best income. While there are some who earn good salaries, most footballers who are just starting out don’t earn that well.
This Closing 2021 in Honduras, athletes from four clubs will be paid only from February 16 to April 25 (just over two months). Those who reach the final (May 27) will report one more month.
“Footballers in Honduras stop receiving income on the day they play the last championship match. Not like in other countries that have contracts per year and independent that end on June 15 and start on August 15. They charge the same. Here they come back. to hire once the preseason starts and they pay him half, until he starts the tournament they pay him his full salary.But the perception is that footballers are well paid, because one listens internationally that athletes recognize good In Honduras, salaries are very meager, and the career is very short, sometimes a young woman does not have the patience to wait and stand out to play for another team that will pay her well or play abroad. “
Many former footballers have emigrated to the north
After his retirement from football, many former players have decided to start a new life in the United States.
“It’s not a new thing. In Honduras I previously remember players like Oscar García (Boniek’s father), Héctor Uclés and other players who stayed on an Olympia tour in the United States. But they were already culminating their careers.” , Navarro recalled.
Most of those who decide to emigrate after hanging up their booties, work in construction during the week and on weekends play on a bureaucratic level for a few dollars.
History will continue to repeat itself in Honduras as long as conditions, in this case for footballers, do not improve in the National League and this will only be linked to many country factors.
Footballers who went to the US talk about it
The decision taken by Perdomo and Ortiz is not new in Honduran sports as in Central America, in recent years young athletes decided to abandon their careers in search of a better future for their families as they were in Honduras tired of earning little and over struggling with wage arrears.
“Far from criticizing them, people should understand that in the end footballers in Honduras are not very different from other people in everyday life; there are teams that can make a difference like Real Spain, Olimpia and Motagua by economic power, the rest are practically fighters, “he began TEN Henry Martinez, former aurinegro striker who at age 30 decided to leave football and stay in the United States where he now works in the construction area.
“And the reality for which I made the decision to come is because I reflected on what the life of a footballer in Honduras is and I have responsibilities with children and family 24/7 all year round, the debts, rent, electricity, internet, food is paid all the time and if we do numbers today in Honduras there is a salary ceiling and the best earner in a boy team is 35-45,000 lempiras, in some cases more or less, but in the year we play three and a half months per tournament, of these they pay you a month and the others you have to fight to see if they pay them “, he analyzed.
And he concludes: “I see the difference here and like me there are many footballers who made the decision, here life is hard, we will not deny it and more we who only worked two hours in football and now it’s our turn to do -10 hours, it’s 40-50 hours a week and I don’t have to walk around fighting with anyone to get paid, you just have to go change the check or check that they have deposited, “said ‘Titi’ Henry .
Adam Ramirez, a player who retired at 26 years old
One of the most talented footballers that Platense has had in recent times has been Adam Ramírez, Who came to be selected national Under-23 and senior in addition to reaching the ranks of the Motagua, today the player is 35 years old, lives in New Orleans and realizes that leaving football to go north is something that has been worthwhile, but he also makes some reflections.
“The country situation is complicated and that of the clubs is also difficult and the decision they made is because maybe there was late payment or they earned little, fans have to understand that one comes to this country to move forward alongside of the family, there are a lot of footballers who have stayed here and we have done well, ”explains Ramírez.
“I decided to retire young because of the same situation, the economic issue was not good and at 26 I stayed, the level I had at that time was good, but I decided to fight for my family here and hopefully these guys get ahead, ”he wishes.
“It’s easy to criticize them without knowing the player’s situation, in Honduras everything is expensive and it gives me everything for the future of many young people promises that there is no such solvency in the country and in football and it is difficult for it to improve,” he said. close.