CONMEBOL seeks FIFA rescue fund for stricken clubs

RIO DE JANEIRO - South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) president Alejandro Dominguez has called for the creation of an emergency fund to help financially stricken clubs during the coronavirus pandemic.

In an open letter to FIFA president Gianni Infantino, Dominguez asked that a task force established last month to tackle the crisis be quickly "reconvened" to formulate "timely and immediately available solutions."

"We as leaders must join forces to explore and facilitate extraordinary and efficient solutions for equally extraordinary situations that affect our member associations and their clubs," Dominguez said in the letter published on CONMEBOL's website on Wednesday.

"We can't do enough to mitigate the difficult situation that our affiliates are going through, which is why it is crucial to join forces to come to their rescue as soon as possible."

CONMEBOL has already brought forward participation fees totalling $75 million for the region's two flagship competitions - the Copa Libertadores and the Copa Sudamerica - to help clubs manage their costs.

However, Dominguez said more needs to be done to help South American associations and clubs, whose needs are "growing by the day."

South America's major football competitions have been suspended since mid-March as part of efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19, which has claimed the lives of more than 88,000 people worldwide.