Teruel Mayor Emma Buj has explained that the club informed the City Council of debts which, despite efforts to reduce them in recent years, were jeopardizing its day-to-day operations. “We did not want the viability of a club that makes this city greater to be put at risk,” she said.
Buj emphasized the exceptional nature of the aid and the City Council’s support for the team, its fans, its 1,500 members and the hundreds of people who fill the stadium for every match. “We are doing this in the conviction that this extraordinary grant will provide the club with financial stability and allow it to face the remainder of the season with its efforts focused on the sporting side rather than the financial side,” she said.
A MEASURE TO SETTLE A LARGE PART OF THE DEBT
The mayor explained that the €235,000 corresponds to outstanding amounts owed to the tax authorities, Social Security and suppliers. The club also has €100,000 in financial debt, which cannot be covered through this grant. From a legal standpoint, the operation will be processed as an increase to the named grant that the City Council already awards the club annually under the relevant agreement.
Buj also announced that the City Council’s regular contribution to the club will rise from €130,000 in 2026 to €150,000 in 2027, an increase of nearly 15%, in line with the effort requested from members, whose fees have also risen by 15%. In addition, the Government of Aragon plans to increase its contributions to C.D. Teruel in the 2027 budgets, with an amount that, according to the information available to her, would place the club in the same range of support as Real Zaragoza and S.D. Huesca. However, the timetable and final details of this future funding are not yet known.
DEBT OF ALMOST €500,000
C.D. Teruel president Santiago Gonzalvo thanked the mayor and the City Council for their support and explained that the current board, which has been running the club for two years, discovered a larger-than-expected debt following the audits required by the RFEF.
Gonzalvo said the club has already paid off around €100,000 from the previous season’s budget. The initial debt stood at between €465,000 and €475,000 and included obligations to the tax authorities, Social Security, suppliers, bonuses and players, as well as financial commitments. He specified that some unpaid invoices dating back to 2021 were still outstanding and had to be covered through subsequent budgets.
The president explained that the club had been unable to turn to bank loans because it has no assets of its own that could serve as collateral. “This financial contribution is to clear the debt. We are not going to make any signings in December; this is to clear the debt,” Gonzalvo stressed, saying he was convinced that the aid would help overcome the situation and guarantee the club’s continued existence.
The president warned that, without this contribution, financial forecasts pointed to serious difficulties by the end of January or during February. He also cautioned that missed payments could have very serious sporting consequences, such as relegation by two divisions or even the disappearance of the club.
