Independiente received a new judicial blow on the international stage. The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled against the Avellaneda club in the conflict it had with Red Bull Bragantino over the purchase of Kevin Lomónaco and forced it to disburse a hefty sum within a strict deadline.
According to the ruling, the Rojo must pay USD 2,881,975 to the São Paulo entity within the next 45 days. If it fails to meet this obligation, it will be barred from the upcoming transfer market. The amount includes a prior payment of 400,000 dollars that Independiente had already made.
Bragantino had claimed an even higher amount: USD 3,917,100 for the central defender. The CAS, however, set a lower amount, although still significant for the Argentine club, which is going through a complex financial situation.
The ruling comes at a delicate time for Independiente. In this same transfer market, the club sold Lomónaco to Elche in Spain for 5.5 million dollars corresponding to 80 percent of his rights and also negotiated the transfer of Maximiliano Gutiérrez to Dynamo Moscow. Those revenues, however, were immediately allocated to settle previous debts.
Lomónaco's transfer at the center of the controversy
The destination of the sale money
The operation with Elche did not generate a net income as clear as it might seem at first glance. Independiente had a debt of USD 1,800,000 with the Spanish club for the purchase of Iván Marcone made in 2022. Part of that obligation was settled with a percentage of the sale of the defender.
According to the details of the case, 30 percent of Lomónaco's rights were used to settle that debt with the Spanish team, while another 25 percent corresponds to Bragantino. Additionally, there is a pending percentage related to the debt with the player himself.
The CAS ruling thus represents a new financial headache for Independiente's management. The club must find the resources to meet the payment in the short term if it wants to avoid being sidelined from the upcoming transfer windows.
The case of Lomónaco adds to a series of economic disputes that the Rojo has been dragging in recent years. The need to regularize this situation becomes a priority to avoid affecting the sports planning for the next season.
Meanwhile, the central defender is already playing in Spanish football after his time in Avellaneda. The conflict between both clubs is resolved at the arbitration level, although the execution of the payment remains an outstanding issue for Independiente.
