An internal crisis in Argentine football could escalate into yet another conflict between the government of Javier Milei and the “iron fist” administration of Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia at the head of the Argentine Football Association. The country’s president will not attend the draw for the 2026 World Cup groups, scheduled for December 5th, and the new senator Patricia Bullrich, from Milei’s party, promised this week to investigate irregularities in the management of the AFA.
In an unusual demonstration of the association’s power over the clubs, Tapia announced this week strong sanctions against Estudiantes de La Plata: he suspended the club president, former Argentine national team player Juan Sebastián Verón, for six months and suspended two games for 11 players – a sentence to be served in 2026.
The reason for the suspensions was the players’ protest – supported by Verón – during a knockout game of the Clausura Tournament against Rosário Central last weekend. The athletes turned their backs when their opponents entered the field, refusing to do the traditional “Pasillo”, when opponents pay homage to the champion teams.
The problem is that the title that Rosário Central celebrated has been strongly contested by clubs and fans in the country. Without prior notice and without basing it on any regulations, Tapia summoned managers and some athletes from Rosário days before and declared the team as the 2025 Argentine champions.
The Argentine league disputes are divided into two: the Apertura tournament, which opens the season, was won by Platense, while the Clausura, which closes the year, is still in dispute in the semifinal stage. The two winners then compete for a Champions Trophy, which is usually considered the Argentine title of the year.
But Tapia’s decision was to consider Rosario as “league champion”, for having scored more points in the total of two rounds. In addition, another cup was created, a Super Cup that will feature a clash between Rosário and the winner of the Champions Trophy.
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Criticism of the decision was widespread and Senator Bullrich said in an interview before the inauguration that the clubs are hostages of the AFA and Tapia. She attacked the lack of transparency in the association’s elections and questioned the organization’s sanctions power against clubs. “What sanction power does someone who breaks the law have? How can you punish someone who breaks the law?”, asked the senator.
This is not the first time that the Milei and Tapia government have butted heads. Last year, there was strong controversy for the Argentine football association to remove obstacles to the creation of Sports Anonymous Societies (SADs), the equivalent of Brazilian SAFs. The government gave the AFA a period of one year to adapt its statutes to the new management model and by decree prohibited the entity from punishing any club that negotiated the entry of private capital during the adaptation period.
Last June, after Boca Juniors and River Plate failed to compete in the FIFA Club World Cup, not even passing the first phase, Milei took the opportunity to defend a change in the clubs’ management. “Neither River nor Boca. No Argentines in the Club World Cup. Brazil went with four teams, all four passed. Until when will we have to point out the failure of the Chiqui Tapia model? A fragile championship, with 30 teams, no competitiveness, no SAD, no incentives. It is not up to the tremendous Argentine public that fills stadiums around the world. I insist, Chiqui Tapia and his tiny circle are doing harm to Argentine football”, he fired on social media.
