Matias Lammens, President of the Buenos Aires football club San Lorenzo de Almagro, was recognized by the Armenian community on October 31 for rejecting Azerbaijan sponsorship of his club as reported by Prensa Armenia.

"I am very pleased that San Lorenzo could be a pioneer in saying no to a budget offering, in saying that not everything can be bought, that not everything can be sold,” Lammens told Armenian community representatives and leaders of other football clubs.

When asked by Prensa Armenia, Lammens provided details of the Azeri officials’ approach in Madrid and Argentina, who told him that "there could not be ethnic Armenians in the executive committee of the club."

"Sometimes the power of money tries to trample on history, because Nagorno Karabakh was an Armenian territory until 1917. It is surprising how money occupies such an important place in our society and steps over issues of history and identity," said Lammens.

He also expressed his admiration for the Armenian community because "they are great activists and have always passed on from generation to generation the Armenian cause for genocide recognition. It seems incredible that only twenty countries have recognized the genocide after almost a hundred years."