Sports Executive, Politician, and Convicted Criminal. He was a Mexican businessman, sports executive, and former footballer. He belonged to a family closely associated with Cooperativa La Cruz Azul, o

Sports Executive, Politician, and Convicted Criminal. He was a Mexican businessman, sports executive, and former footballer. He belonged to a family closely associated with Cooperativa La Cruz Azul, one of Mexico's leading cement producers, and was the son of Guillermo Álvarez Macías, who led the cooperative from the 1950s until his death in 1976. Following a brief career as a football player, Álvarez became one of the most influential figures in the Cruz Azul organization, serving as president of the football club and later as general director of the cooperative for more than three decades. Álvarez briefly played professional football as a forward for Cruz Azul Hidalgo before pursuing a career in business administration. He rose to prominence within the Cruz Azul organization during the 1980s. In 1986, he became president of Club Deportivo Cruz Azul, and two years later, he was appointed general director of Cooperativa La Cruz Azul. Under his leadership, the cooperative expanded its industrial operations while Cruz Azul remained one of the most prominent football clubs in Mexico. He also served as a federal deputy for the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) from 1994 to 1997, representing the state of Hidalgo. Beginning in the 2010s, Álvarez faced increasing internal opposition within the cooperative, along with a series of legal and administrative disputes concerning its management. In 2020, Mexican authorities launched investigations into alleged financial irregularities involving cooperative resources, leading to the freezing of accounts and the issuance of arrest warrants on charges that included money laundering, organized crime, and fraudulent administration. He resigned from his positions at Cruz Azul later that year and remained a fugitive for several years.