Buenos Aires, November 15 (NA) — San Lorenzo managed to defuse a conflict that had raised alarms at the club: Jhohan Romaña received payment for a debt close to 200,000 dollars and will not be released from his contract. The Colombian defender, according to the Argentine News Agency, had urged the club to settle the amount agreed in his contract, which expired on Friday, November 14, while Julio Lopardo was serving as interim president due to Marcelo Moretti's leave. The management finally made the payment and avoided a critical scenario just days before the end of the Torneo Clausura. Romaña's claim added to a heated institutional context, after the professional squad published a statement denouncing salary delays and poor working conditions. In the letter, the players detailed that some have not been paid in full since August and that daily life is affected by a lack of proper food, no hot water in the locker room, and unfulfilled promises from the management. Amid this climate, the defender escalated his claim to the Players' Union, demanding the debt be settled within a 48-hour deadline, threatening to become a free agent. The amount owed to the defender—which included salary and accumulated bonuses—sparked rumors of an immediate exit, especially as Romaña was left off the squad to face Sarmiento in the final match. Although his absence fueled conflict rumors, the club states he will not be available due to a physical discomfort he has been carrying since the match against Rosario Central, where he could not finish the game and trained irregularly during the week. With his contract valid until December 2026, Romaña's continuity was never formally at risk once the payment was made, but the episode once again exposed the internal tensions plaguing San Lorenzo. The settlement of the debt halted the defender's exit, but the squad's collective complaint about working conditions keeps the concern alive in a club that is accumulating conflicts while seeking sporting and administrative stability.
