Government seizes Puebla's stadium

Mexican Primera Division soccer club Puebla FC was the subject of a Friday morning raid by government officials, with the team's Cuauhtemoc Stadium facilities seized in an effort to settle a 14 million peso tax debt.

Players arriving to the facility for a morning training session were allowed in the stadium by SAT authorities to collect personal items; however, Puebla was unable to train ahead of their Saturday match at Pachuca.

Club officials called the confiscation of computers, furniture and electronics from the team's Angelopolis facilities "aggressive, very aggressive," with club legal guardian Rodolfo Aragon saying the club was given no prior information about a raid they were "helpless" to stop.

It is unclear whether Puebla would be allowed to use Cuauhtemoc Stadium for their Jan. 22 home match against Atlante.

United States international DaMarcus Beasley, in his second season with Puebla, tweeted, "Wow. The government seized the stadium today! Couldn't even park n the stadium. A lot of problems right now! Nothin can get out the stadium!"

"Never in my life I see something like this! Jus heard the government officials seized our bus too when we letf the stadium! Everything!!!

"Had to take everything from the locker rm that was personal! They were even taking the soccer balls and everythin in the equipment room! Wow."

Puebla's tax problems date back to the ownership of Francisco Bernat, who gave up control of the club in August following his temporary imprisonment on fraud charges brought by Henine Ricardo, his former Puebla partner.

The club has since been under Ricardo's management, the president gaining controlling as part of an agreement to drop the fraud complaint against Bernat.