Morales Won´t Rule Bolivian Soccer

The president of Bolivia, Evo Morales, denied Saturday that his government will intervene in his country's football to address the crisis faced by their institutions.

While his Deputy Sports Minister, former international footballer Miguel Angel Rimba, had stated the possibility of intervention, Morales flatly refused to go to.

"We will not intervene, but we are entitled to say something for us to improve Bolivian football," he said.

The election of the new directory Bolivian Football Federation (FBF) this weekend has led to a crisis within the institution because of the growing dispute between its leaders.

In this sense, the Bolivian government threatened intervention, what FIFA said on Friday that, if produced, would have "consequences in terms of sanctions" in football in the country.

Deputy Rimba, after hearing the position of the international body FIFA branded "mafia of international sport", so that the statements of Morales intended to reduce the tension within the Bolivian football.

Bolivian President, however, asked to suspend the elections for the change in leadership in the FBF, and working with "unity and integration" to improve Bolivian football.

Morales advocates a change at the head of the federation, since in his opinion "it is not possible that some leaders are so many years of leadership and football do not change or improve it."

In this election, Carlos Chavez seeks re-election, but the two chairmen of the top clubs in Bolivia, Guido Loayza (Bolivar) and Sergio Asbún (The Strongest) also appear in the pool.

Several associations of football in the country, headed by former captain and current city councilman, Julio Cesar Baldivieso, this week began a hunger strike to demand a renewal of the charges.

Morales, football enthusiasts, recalled that for more than a decade no team has managed to move from Bolivia the first phase of an international tournament, and even dared to joke about it.

"Teams that qualify for the Copa Libertadores, are like Patzi, ranging from treetop to treetop doing crap, and never fall," he snapped, referring to his former education minister, Felix Patzi, who was arrested for driving drunk when running for governor of La Paz.

Morales acquitted of these poor seasons the players, and said the crisis in the national football because of "fighting" between the leaders who "live the sport, and not for sport."

The only joy that the Bolivian gave their fans left with their qualification for the 1994 World Cup in the United States. In the recent South American qualifiers for the championship of South Africa, Bolivia could not pass the penultimate position. (ESPN DEPORTES)