The electoral race of Independiente has a new protagonist. Gastón Gaudio confirmed that he will be a candidate for president of the club in the elections on December 13 and began to outline some of the main points on which he will seek to build his project.
In an interview with Radio La Red, the former tennis player explained what led him to make the decision after several months of analysis and negotiations. "I present myself as a candidate for president. That is already decided. It is a difficult decision in my life, because I have often wanted to be there and had many commitments to fulfill. I have been traveling a lot. Today is the day that I have everything arranged", he stated.
In this way, his candidacy joins those of Enrique Quique Sacco (Authentic Independent Movement), Luciano Nakis (Red List) and Daniel Bertoni (Authentic Reds), who have already made their intention to participate in the election public.
On the other hand, Gaudio anticipated that his structure will be linked to the groups Gente de Independiente and Puro Sentimiento Rojo, although he emphasized that he will seek to incorporate other sectors. "I am open to anyone coming because I am a fan. Whoever wants to come to do good, let’s all move forward. We want to win", the former tennis player expressed regarding the formation of his space.
The 2004 Roland Garros champion shared that before taking the step, he needed to complete certain aspects of his proposal. In this regard, he stated: "There were many things that had to be fulfilled for me to present myself and take this responsibility, which I believe is one of the most important in my life. Little by little, everything I wanted to happen to take this responsibility fell into place. It is a club that I love and that is huge".
One of the conditions he set for forming his team was related to the backgrounds of those who will accompany him. In this regard, Gaudio pointed out: "I didn't want anyone who has done harm to the club in the last 20 years, no one who had decision-making power and has done something that has not been good for the club".
Additionally, he described the personal impact that his entry into institutional politics will have: "And I to put my face, put my time, leave my family… Because it’s 24 hours. Today I launch myself as a candidate and it is stressful. You are thinking about Independiente all day. At night you can’t sleep, it is a really very important decision".
The financial backing
In parallel, one of the central aspects of his project revolves around financing. Gaudio traveled to Miami to meet with the emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, as part of the efforts to finalize a commercial agreement. As he explained, sponsorship was one of the requirements he needed to resolve before officially announcing his candidacy.
