Irapuato returns to the Expansion League; Celaya's sale to Veracruz rejected

MEXICO CITY (apro).- The owners' assembly of the Expansion League approved this Thursday the inclusion of the Irapuato club as a guest team for the 2025-2026 season, so after 10 years it will return to the second category of national soccer.

The Irapuato team has been in the Premier League this entire time, one division lower, after playing the 2015 Clausura Tournament in the now-defunct Liga de Ascenso.

However, the civil association that owns the crest and name (Club Deportivo Irapuato AC, chaired by Juan Manuel Albo) informed the Mexican Football Federation that the franchise operated by Healthy People S de RL de CV, a company specializing in the sale of natural food supplements, is not authorized to use the Sergio León Chávez stadium or the trademarks registered with the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI).

As an invited team, Irapuato will not be entitled to the FMF subsidy, nor will it have access to the certification process or the right to speak or vote in the membership meetings.

For its part, Celaya did not obtain the necessary votes at the owners' meeting to move the franchise to Veracruz, which means there will be no soccer at the recently remodeled Luis "Pirata" Fuente stadium, whose concession is held by FC Veracruzano.

The assembly also rejected the sale of Cimarrones de Sonora to Jaiba Brava del Tampico, through which the club intended to cease being the guest team in order to gain access to the 20 million peso subsidy and the certification process.

This club is one of four that withdrew from the lawsuit filed with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) originally filed by 10 clubs from the Expansion League.

The FMF regulations state that 80% of the 13 votes in the assembly are required to change the franchises, and only five voted in favor.

"Eight clubs voted against the purchase and sale of Celaya FC to Veracruz and Cimarrones de Sonora FC to Tampico. The affected clubs requested that their affairs be reviewed by the FMF assembly," the Expansion League reported in a statement.