On October 8, Lucía Barbuto became president of the Banfield club in Argentina. However, she is not the first woman to have run a soccer club in Latin America

In a historic event, Banfield has named Lucía Barbuto as president of the Argentine First Division club. Last Monday, October 8, Eduardo Spinosa handed over the presidency to Barbuto, as Azteca Noticias reported. Barbuto is the second woman to preside over a soccer team in Argentina after Marcovecchio's Natividad Gallego, who became president of the Platense Club in 1971.

Leer en español: Las mujeres y el fútbol: 10 latinas que han sido presidentas de clubes

It took almost 50 years for Argentine soccer to see a woman again in the main position of a club. "Years ago, when I started participating in the active life of the club, I did not think a woman could be president, society was different, I was also different ," Barbuto told La Nación.

For some years, FIFA has promoted the inclusion of women in all areas of soccer, including arbitration. However, there are few women in the world who have reached the presidency of a club, especially in the highest categories. In Latin America, Barbuto is not the first. Before her, there were other women in charge of football teams. Here we present you some of them.

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Latin America: other women who have been presidents of soccer clubs

Two cases stand out in the Venezuelan club Deportivo Táchira. On the one hand is Juana Suárez, who was president of the club on several occasions, as reported by the same team, highlighting the achievements of her various efforts.

On the other hand, there is Miriam Martínez, an entrepreneur who, after making loans to the club, became interested in it. Martinez partnered with other entrepreneurs to acquire it and lift it from the economic crisis at the beginning of the 21st century, and was elected to preside over it, according to ABC of Paraguay. Another case in Venezuela is that of Verónica Martino, president of Atlético Venezuela, which plays in the First Division, according to Be Soccer.

In Uruguay, according to Ovación Digital, Isabel Peña became president of the Rampla Juniors when Juan Castillo resigned as president of the club. Peña became the interim leader for several months in 2017, deciding not to stand for election.

According to information from Fútbol Red, Paola Andrea Salazar is the president of the club Ríonegro Águilas Doradas of the Colombian First Division since 2015. Salazar comes from a family linked to soccer. For her, the participation of women in sports is important. "Yes, I think that women are more organized, women put a different touch," she said.

In Mexican soccer there is a case similar to that of Salazar, that of Alejandra de la Vega. De la Vega directed the Bravos de Juárez club, which she owns, achieving the title of the Liga de Ascenso. "I am convinced that capacity does not have sex," she told the newspaper Economía.

In Mexico, the case of Laura Kalb from Irarragorri also stands out at the Santos club, who has managed the team closely and created communication campaigns as a socially responsible company. She is also directly responsible for the women's division of the club, according to information from Milenio.

Another case, although unfortunate, is that of Chivas de Guadalajara. According to El Dictamen, the club had the entrepreneur Angelica Fuentes within the board. However, Fuentes was accused of mismanagement, resulting in a legal suit that cost the owner of the team more than $ 100 million to regain control of the club.

LatinAmerican Post | Luis Liborio

Translated from "10 mujeres latinas que han sido presidentas de clubes de fútbol"

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