Andorra Primera Divisió Resumes Amid Ranger's FC Wage Crisis
League restarts with matchday 14 as Ranger's FC battles unpaid salaries, player exits, and a drop to fourth place.
Key Points
- Ranger's FC owes 2-3 months' wages; several players left, five requested transfers.
- Team fell from early leaders to 4th with 20 points, 9 behind Inter Escaldes.
- Ranger's vs FC Ordino on Jan 18; both clubs faced payment issues.
- UE Santa Coloma host leaders Inter Escaldes on Jan 17 in title clash.
Andorra's Primera Divisió football league resumes this weekend with matchday 14 on January 17 and 18, amid ongoing concerns over unpaid wages at Ranger's FC.
The restart comes at a challenging time for the La Massana club, which is grappling with salary arrears of two to three months for most players, including December payments. Several squad members have already left, and five others have requested transfers. These issues have undermined an initially strong campaign under coach Luis Blanco, dropping the team from early dominance to fourth place with 20 points—nine behind leaders Inter Escaldes.
Ranger's face FC Ordino at the Estadi Nacional on Sunday, January 18. Ordino has also dealt with payment delays this season, though sources close to the club say the matter is nearly resolved.
The league schedule is now fully up to date, following the Andorran Football Federation's efforts to clear postponed fixtures from the season's start, which stemmed from disputes over immigration fees. All teams have played their matches, though some have one game fewer after byes in the second half of the campaign—a ripple effect from Pas de la Casa's withdrawal.
At the top, UE Santa Coloma host Inter Escaldes on Saturday, January 17 at 7:30pm at the FAF Training Centre. The visitors, with one match in hand, hold a slender lead, setting up a pivotal clash for first place.
Original Sources
This article was aggregated from the following Catalan-language sources: