Liga MX revealed on Friday that Francisco Iturbide will succeed Mikel Arriola as president of Mexico’s premier football league, leaving Arriola to continue as the commissioner of the Mexican Football Federation (FMF) after previously occupying both positions.
“I would like to express my gratitude to the commissioner of the Mexican Football Federation for his trust and confidence in my appointment. I began my journey here 11 years ago as an intern, convinced that with hard work, patience, and commitment, one can achieve their dreams,” Iturbide stated in his inaugural press release as president. “It is a tremendous honor to represent the league in this new era.”
With Iturbide at the helm, Liga MX transitions away from Arriola’s leadership, who has been in office since 2020. This appointment re-establishes the league’s independence from the FMF, a status that was altered when Arriola was granted the dual role of league president and FMF president upon his interim appointment last summer.
Iturbide, a former youth player with Club America and later a member of second division team Alebrijes de Oaxaca, will now lead a league undergoing transformations marked by increased American and foreign investment, centralization, and a departure from the traditional promotion/relegation system.
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This summer, the Mexican top division garnered attention after announcing regulations stating that “teams in Liga MX will not face relegation to Expansion MX, nor will clubs from Expansion MX be promoted to Liga MX,” contrary to the ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport last September advocating for the return of promotion and relegation.