Jorge Uauy Emerges as Regional Bloc's Candidate to Succeed Milad as ANFP President

The seat Pablo Milad will leave behind already has a suitor with a name and a face. Jorge Uauy, president of Palestino, has emerged as the strongest card for the bloc known as "Los Regionalizados" in the race for the ANFP presidency in the November elections.

This move is neither a surprise nor a last minute development. According to a report by radio station ADN, representatives from 14 clubs met on Wednesday to organize the candidacy, and that is where Uauy's name gained traction. The photo from that meeting already says plenty about how much weight this group wants to carry in the year end vote.

Who was in the room? From the top division came Universidad Catolica, Palestino, Audax Italiano, Cobresal, Coquimbo Unido, Deportes Concepcion, Huachipato and Universidad de Concepcion. From the Primera B, Deportes Recoleta, Deportes Santa Cruz, Deportes Puerto Montt, Deportes Iquique, Cobreloa and Union Espanola joined in. A broad map, with big clubs and regional teams sharing the table, something that is not always easy to pull off in Chilean soccer.

A Ticket That Is Starting to Take Shape

Uauy's candidacy does not stand alone. According to the radio station's reporting, five of the seven slots within the proposed ticket would already be set. Alongside the Palestino leader at the top, the names being floated are Juan Tagle, Jorge Contador (Coquimbo Unido), Rene Rozas (Universidad de Concepcion) and Karina Mazu (Deportes Recoleta). Two names would still be pending confirmation, which makes sense with several months still to go before the vote.

What stands out here is the message behind the group: the idea driving "Los Regionalizados" is that the ANFP should not be left solely in the hands of clubs with more history or a bigger fan base, but that teams from the regions and from the Primera B should also have a strong voice in deciding the direction of Chilean soccer.

There is still a long stretch to go before November, and along the way it is likely that other candidacies will surface or that alliances will shift, as tends to happen in every ANFP election cycle. For now, what is clear is that Uauy already has the backing of 14 clubs working to install him as Milad's successor, and that the ticket accompanying him is starting to come together with heavyweight names from their respective institutions.