In a decision that surprised Argentine fans, the AFA (Argentine Football Association) suspended the ninth round of the Apertura Tournament (the Argentine Championship of the first semester), as a response to investigations into alleged tax evasion against the entity’s president, Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia.
After a meeting of the Executive Committee, the association released a statement repudiating the investigation by Arca (the local equivalent of the Federal Revenue Service).
“Due to the meeting of the Executive Committee of the Professional League held today, the leaders, by unanimous decision of all those present, requested the suspension of date 9 of the LPF, which runs from Thursday, March 5th, to Sunday, March 8th, and the other categories of our football; in repudiation of the complaint made by Arca against the Argentine Football Association”, says the statement.
The president of the AFA and the treasurer Pablo Toviggino were called to testify due to alleged irregularities involving the withholding of contributions and the omission of tax payments, with a value equivalent to R$73.5 million.
The entity is also being investigated for possible money laundering, a case that led to a search and seizure operation in December, with the aim of collecting documents that would indicate suspicious transactions with a private financial institution.
The AFA claims that it has no tax debts and that all payments were made on time, refuting the allegations that led to the authorities calling for an investigation.
“This is not the first time we have experienced this. Three presidents [da República] It’s been nine years since I’ve been at the helm of Argentine football, and I still have many years ahead of me”, said Tapia in November.
Tapia was banned from traveling abroad. The judge responsible for the case expressed that there are sufficient reasons to suspect his participation in the irregularities being investigated. The court order extends to three other directors of the Argentine football federation, which oversees the current world champion team.
The cancellation of the round gains weight because of the upcoming World Cup, to be held in the United States, Mexico and Canada. Tapia is trying to pressure Javier Milei’s government to suspend the investigation so that FIFA (International Football Federation) does not punish the Argentine team — the body that governs world football expressly vetoes government interventions in national federations.
The investigations have generated intense debates in the world of Argentine football, not only about the AFA’s practices but also about the implications this has for the future of the clubs.
Team leaders express their concerns about a possible “war” against the sport, which they say is oblivious to the issues raised in the accusations.
Before the AFA suspended the round, Vélez Sarsfield president, Fabián Berlanga, had already suggested that the measure could take place if necessary.
The majority of clubs expressed support for the AFA and confirmed their support for the suspension. Central Córdoba was one of the first to speak out, referring to the accusation as “unfounded” and stating that it causes uncertainty for clubs, athletes and workers.
Deportivo Riestra joined this line of defense, labeling the judicial scenario as “fallacious” and repeating concerns about the media’s influence on legal proceedings.
Atlético Tucumán also declared its support for the AFA, stating that all obligations mentioned in the indictment were paid on time and considering the continuation of the case inadmissible.
