Argentine club turns to crowdfunding to pay player salaries

Argentine football club Instituto de Cordoba has announced a fundraising campaign in the hope of getting fans to donate to the club, so that it may pay delayed salaries to its players.

Named "Play your role as well", the management of the club based in Cordoba, 700 km north of Buenos Aires, has asked its fans to deposit money in a bank account, which will be used to pay the footballers, reports Xinhua.

"We have asked for the support of the fans and partners to deposit or transfer money to the account... which will go to pay the salaries of players and the coaching staff. In this complicated financial situation, we are all needed," stated the press release posted on the club's website on Tuesday.

The club has set the target of reaching 2 million pesos ($210,000 dollars) through a campaign where "contributions are open for each to decide" and where the reward will be "the efforts... made by our players".

"This game we are now playing... is as important as those played every weekend on the pitch," concluded the press release.

Instituto de Cordoba is currently in fifth position in the National B Division, the country's second tier football competition. With only two games to play, the club is close to qualifying for the play-off tournament that allows the winner a promotion to the First Division.

The Gloria, as the club is well-known, has played 13 seasons in the First Division since its creation in 1981 and has won the National B Division twice in 1999 and 2004.