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MEXICO CITY — Liga MX club Monterrey has launched a complaint with FIFA against its former player Rodolfo Pizarro and his new club Inter Miami, a FIFA spokesperson confirmed to ESPN on Wednesday.
The complaint stems from last month’s prolonged transfer saga that concluded when Pizarro joined the MLS expansion side, co-owned by David Beckham. Monterrey claimed that Miami broke FIFA rules when Beckham enticed Pizarro to join the club via video-calls while he was still under contract with the Mexican club.
The complaint was lodged on Feb. 15 and the investigation is ongoing, with FIFA declining to provide further details.
A source close to Monterrey confirmed the complaint and added that the matter is in the hands of the club’s lawyers, while Inter Miami has yet to respond to ESPN’s request for comment.
Pizarro’s acrimonious departure from Monterrey began when club director Duilio Davino stressed that he wanted to keep the 26-year-old, but that the full amount of a release clause would have to be met in order for him to leave.
Monterrey then confirmed in a statement on Feb. 12 that Pizarro had unilaterally rescinded his contract. ESPN sources put the transfer fee at close to $12 million USD, almost two million more than Miami was originally quoted by the player’s representatives.
But as the difficult transfer looked to be concluding, Pizarro told reporters on leaving Mexico for Miami that he had spoken to Beckham on video-calls about the move.
“He told me that he wanted to count on me. From when he called me via video, it influenced a lot in me taking this decision,” Pizarro said on Feb. 13.
Davino suggested in an interview with Fox Sports later that day that such an interaction could constitute a breach of FIFA’s transfer regulations, hinting at what is widely known as the “tapping up” of players.
“What does worry me is the topic of the video-call because I don’t know if Beckham belongs to the front office of the club, [but] he shouldn’t be speaking to players that have a contract,” said Davino, also on Feb. 13. “It’s not unjust, it breaks the rules. I don’t know [if we’ll take action], that’s in the hands of the lawyers.”
Miami sporting director Paul McDonough stated on Feb. 16 that the club had not broken FIFA rules and the club announced Pizarro as a Designated Player the following day.
The club made its MLS debut last weekend, falling 1-0 to LAFC, with Pizarro playing the full 90 minutes.
The complaint comes at a time in which MLS and Liga MX are working closely in partnership with a joint Leagues Cup, a Liga MX vs. MLS all-star game in the summer and a variety of other off-field projects.