Estudiantes de La Plata, from Argentina, will receive a R$500 million investment from North American businessman Foster Gillett, former CEO of Liverpool. Despite the investment, the Argentine club is not a Football Limited Society – and the format does not even exist in the country.
The money should be used to reinforce the main women’s and men’s football teams, as well as renovations to the professional CT, the base and the renovation of the UNO stadium, in La Plata.
In return, Gillett will have a percentage of future sales of the club’s athletes, according to the Argentine newspaper “TN Deportes”.
This season, Estudiantes finished 12th in the Argentine Championship and fell in the group stage of the Libertadores.
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Is there SAF in Argentina?
Unlike Brazil, Argentina does not have Football Limited Society (SAF) legislation. The clubs follow the civil association model, similar to social clubs in Brazil.
The so-called Sports Joint Stock Companies (SAD’s) divide opinion in Argentina. While the country’s football governing body, the Argentine Football Association (AFA), opposes the format, president Javier Milei is a defender of SADs.
In 2023, the politician promoted a decree that amends the General Companies Law to allow the new format of investment in football, but the Court blocked the decree in September of this year.
A month later, Milei withdrew tax benefits from football teams, in a kind of retaliation for resistance to SADs.
The SADs’ main opposition, in addition to the AFA, comes from the biggest Argentine clubs, such as River Plate and Boca Juniors. In them and in most teams in the country, members have active participation in the clubs and vote for president, for example. In this way, fans fear giving up participation with private investment.
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SAD’s in Argentina: who is against and who is for
Who is against SADs
- Argentine Football Association (AFA)
- Athletes’ Union
- Boca Juniors
- River Plate
- Independent
- Racing
- San Lorenzo
- Rosario Central
- Newell’s Old Boys
Who is in favor of SADs
- Javier Miley
- Students of La Plata
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Which Argentine teams are going to the 2025 Libertadores?
In addition to Vélez Sarsfield, Racing, champion of the South American Championship, Talleres, River Plate, Estudiantes (champion of the Argentine League Cup) and Central Córdoba (champion of the Argentine Cup) qualified for the 2025 Libertadores. Boca Juniors also secured a place, but will compete in the pre-Libertadores.
Which Argentine teams are going to the 2025 South American Championship?
The Argentine teams that will compete in the 2025 South American Championship are Godoy Cruz, Independiente, Huracán, Unión, Lanús and Defensa y Justicia.
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