Before the controversial referee punishing Estudiantes de la Plata for their “support” of Rosario Central became known, the president of the Argentine Football Association, Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia, was targeting Pincha. It was during the conclusion of the Alumni Awards Ceremony when he indicated the conditions the club needed to advance on the closing date of the final tournament.
In a controversial speech, Tapia confirmed that he had a long time left in office. He expressed complaints of corruption affecting the leaders around him, saying: “This is not the first time we have experienced this. There have been three presidents in just nine years that I have been president, and I have many more years left. I have no doubt that when my term ends, those who want will have the opportunity to present themselves.”
He then stressed that it is the communications officials, players and technicians who “give Argentine football what has real value” and “the leaders who make an effort to form competitive teams and leagues where everyone has the same potential.”
He then left a cryptic message to Estudiantes’ president, Juan Sebastian Veron, after he questioned Central’s coronation and his players walked out into the lobby with their backs turned.
“There are those who forget that two days ago they played Paracas Central and were eliminated. Because Huracan and Belgrano did not win, they qualified and today they have the possibility of fighting in the championship. This is Argentine football,” he attacked at the Lionel Messi Stadium.
The phrase raises controversy, given that when Estudiantes lost to Argentinos Juniors, he stopped relying on himself to qualify for the round of 16 in the local competition. In that time, Huracan faced Paracas Central – who needed a win to dream of qualifying for the Sudamericana – Belgrano against Union and Defensa y Justicia against Independiente Rivadavia.
El Pincha needed neither Globe nor Pirate to add three points. None of them succeeded, allowing the club headed by Juan Sebastian Veron to continue to the round of 16, where they finally eliminated the Santa Fe side.
News in development