Player Op-Ed
Cristian Arano: "I reported the non-payment knowing it would set a precedent in Bolivia"
In February 2023, with the support of Bolivian players’ union FABOL, Cristian Arano Ruiz filed a claim with the Bolivian Football Federation’s Dispute Resolution Tribunal (TRD) over Club Blooming’s failure to pay his wages, prize money and bonuses for 2022.
Arano Ruiz finally recovered the full amount owed, plus interest, in March 2026 following joint action by FABOL and FIFPRO. The organisations referred his case to the FIFA Disciplinary Committee after a Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruling in the player’s favour was not enforced.
The case marks an unprecedented development in Bolivia and a turning point for footballers in the country. Find out more about how the case unfolded HERE.
By Cristian Arano
Blooming is a club I care deeply about and where I enjoyed some wonderful times. A lot happened for the situation to reach the point it did. I left in 2022, when the club owed me wages, bonuses and a special payment. There is always room to negotiate. We had only one or two discussions at the time and, when we couldn’t reach an agreement, I filed a claim with the Bolivian Football Federation’s Dispute Resolution Tribunal in February 2023.
I followed the usual process here in Bolivia. Your claim is supposed to be dealt with within three months and you’re supposed to receive your money within a year at the latest. But time passed and I received no response. It was clear that something was going on.
During the negotiations, we couldn’t reach a satisfactory agreement because the terms they offered weren’t acceptable to me. I also spoke to team-mates who had accepted similar offers but still hadn’t been paid. Hearing that made me unwilling to accept, and the months passed without an agreement.
At one point, when I wasn’t living in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, I sent a representative to try to reach an agreement. But they wouldn’t answer my calls. Long periods would pass before they finally called with proposals that still didn’t meet my expectations.
A long time passed without any answers or a single cent from them. I kept asking myself: what had happened to my claim? These are the uncertainties I faced, as do many other players here in Bolivia. I wondered why the Bolivian federation wasn’t enforcing these claims when, ultimately, it was supposed to support us.
In September 2024, I was notified of a ruling that said I was entitled only to my wages. Nothing else. For the bonuses and prize money, I was referred to the Ministry of Labour. That was unprecedented: it had never happened to a player before.
That prompted me to consult FABOL again and challenge the decision, even though I knew it would put me in a very difficult position. I knew I would have their support.
Once again, FABOL gave me all the information I needed, guided me through every step and spoke to FIFPRO. After reviewing the case, they concluded that we could take it to CAS.
I felt the tribunal had played a dirty trick on me. They thought I would settle for collecting my wages; that I would say: “I need the money. I’ll take it and work out how to claim the rest later.”
Under the federation’s rules, however, taking my claim to the Ministry of Labour could have led to me being suspended and prevented from playing. That’s why I sought advice and found out I could pursue the case through CAS. FABOL told me from the outset that we would win because we had a contract, the amounts were documented and there were signatures. Everything was legally sound.
They gave me peace of mind. Alongside the messages and regular contact, which meant I could ask questions whenever I needed to, they also provided financial support. Pursuing a claim like this costs a lot of money. I couldn’t have done it on my own.
FABOL and FIFPRO backed me. Their support was vital in helping me press ahead, even though I knew there could be a backlash and people would talk. In the end, that didn’t stop me. I discussed it with my family and my wife. We made the decision together, knowing we would set a precedent in Bolivia: a turning point that would show footballers we are not alone. FABOL supports us, and FIFPRO stands behind them.
They also stood by me during a very difficult time with my son. He was born prematurely in 2025 after I had to rush my wife to hospital. He needed intensive care and the costs were considerable. We didn’t have the money.
I mentioned what was happening to the people at FABOL and they arranged financial assistance through FIFPRO. It was one of the worst moments of my life, and they stood by me. With their help, I was able to cover more than half the costs. I’ll be grateful for the rest of my life.
People don’t often hear about situations like these. The reality is harsh: here in Bolivia, we are singled out for wanting to be paid what we are owed. Our complaints are publicised everywhere and we end up being portrayed as the bad guys. They accuse us of forming cliques, say we don’t want to play and claim all we care about is getting paid.
So we choose to stay quiet, even when it works against us. Sometimes, out of love for the game or the club, we give in and accept things we know aren’t right.
We are ordinary workers, like anyone else, who need to earn a living and provide for our families. For us, that means giving everything in every training session and every match so we can perform at our best and achieve good results.
My message to Bolivian players is that we must unite, demand respect and restore FABOL to the position it has always held. They are fighting for our rights through the legal system.
But when the conditions aren’t right, that isn’t easy. In Bolivian football, players can be owed three or six months’ wages. There have even been cases of players being owed a year’s wages. If we aren’t paid, it is very difficult to step onto the pitch and perform.
We all know the saying: “You step onto the pitch and forget your problems.” And it’s true. You have to put them aside because you have a job to do: you’re there to win.
But the issue is how you prepare during the week. Have you rested properly, or have you been worrying about when you’ll be paid because you need to cover your children’s school fees, the electricity bill and the rent?
It isn’t easy to cope with all of that. We are human beings who need to provide for our families and cover the essentials: food and a roof over our heads where we can feel safe. Only then can we be expected to perform at our best.
In my case, even after FIFA intervened because the CAS ruling ordering payment of the full amount owed hadn’t been honoured, they still tried to mislead us. I remember them saying they had already paid me money that wasn’t in my account. It simply wasn’t true.
They paid me only after FIFA imposed a severe sanction on the federation. Only then could I relax and feel happy, three years after it all began.
I’m happy, despite the possibility of reprisals, because I know this has been a significant achievement. For the first time, I haven’t played in the top flight this year. I had opportunities, but when I went to negotiate and they realised who I was, they had already ruled me out: “He’s the one who sues. He doesn’t let things go.”
Yet I didn’t harm anyone or take anything that wasn’t rightfully mine.
I try to approach life with joy, enthusiasm and faith. I’m fighting for promotion with a second-division team, and I hope my case will set a precedent. Many team-mates from other clubs call or message me to ask how I did it. I’m glad I can tell them it was thanks to FABOL and FIFPRO.
My message to Bolivian players is that we must unite, demand respect and restore FABOL to the position it has always held. They are fighting for our rights through the legal system.
If we stand together, it will be much harder for anyone to take reprisals against us all. Ultimately, we are the ones on the pitch. We, the players, are the ones driving all this forward.
