December 2022. Argentina just won the World Cup in Qatar and the country celebrated. Ariel Vallejo wanted to meet Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia and he did it in a short time. The financier got hold of the AFA property through the president of Morón, Gabriel “Conejo” Mansilla. The first time he had no luck: the president left him “standing” and had a snack. A few days later they had their first conversation alone. “I will help you so that you have more visibility” the head of Argentine football promised him.
Communication between Vallejo and Tapia has been interrupted since then THE NATION On November 3, he began revealing the details of the judicial investigation against him. “We haven’t spoken anymore, but everything is fine. Chiqui never asked me for anything.” Vallejo told THE NATION in a short message. It is his first reaction since the scandal broke 40 days ago. So far it has only been expressed on social networks.
Before Vallejo met Tapia, he had already entered the world of football. Through Eduardo Spinosaformer president of Banfield, became fully involved with the club and began sponsoring the jersey. He also loaned money to Taladro, one of the two Primera clubs where he has a box and feels at home. According to a report published by the company on its website at the beginning of the management of Matías Mariotto, with whom Vallejo appears very often and maintains a good relationship, the financial company requested a total of $954,275,000.
According to sources at the club in the southern suburbs, Spinosa visited Vallejo at his home in the country of Adrogué Chico to sign one of these million-dollar loans. Other leaders of that government accompanied him. Some of them were indicted and searched as part of the proceedings led by prosecutor Cecilia Incardona and prosecutor Luis Armella. Now they are worried about the contents of their cell phones.
This file of alleged money laundering began in July this year and was later supplemented by the contents of the complaint filed by the Directorate General of Taxes (DGI) against Sur Finanzas. “I don’t have an army of little soldiers,” Vallejo defended himself in a dialogue with this medium.. The Ministry of Finance accuses him of alleged money laundering for transfers of $818,000 million through Sur Finanzas PSP, made by, among others, unreliable taxpayers, monotributists with low economic capacity.
The investigation has already triggered three raids. The first case occurred on December 1 in 11 offices of the financial company. Yesterday 18 clubs and the AFA headquarters joined. And this morning the judiciary has chosen a group of companies linked to Sur Finanzas.
The relationship with Spinosa did not end well. “He never paid me“Vallejo complains privately. But the commercial connection with the club was maintained and strengthened during the leadership of Matías Mariotto, one of the presidents with whom he has the most photos.”
After his failed debut at AFA headquarters Vallejo managed to establish a relationship with Tapia without intermediaries. The businessman already knew that he wanted to turn his company into a “football wallet.” And he largely succeeded.
Vallejo began to portray every meeting with Tapia because it opened the doors to the world of football. “I took a photo with Chiqui and everyone called me” admits to these hours. On his social networks he collects pictures with the head of the AFA, even in his own office.
Vallejo grew at a dizzying pace and Sur Finanzas became the Main sponsor of the Professional League (in 2024) of the Argentine national team and sponsored several first division and promotion teams. Many of them were searched yesterday on the orders of the judiciary.
This synergy with football and the AFA led to dozens of commercial promotions. “You can buy tickets for the national team quickly, easily and safely” He promoted the financial company to all his customers. The last one was three months ago. “Messi is playing his last qualifying game and you can be there,” the post says.
Vallejo sold 600 tickets in a single national team game. A well-rounded business.
This connection brought him into contact with Tapia’s entourage. He calls her “the group of Secanucas”, A term that became popular after Luciano Nakis, an AFA leader, dried the sweat of “Chiqui” during the semi-final of the last Copa América between Argentina and Canada at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Vallejo referred to this group when he spoke of “traitors.” “Some people are loyal to you because of the interests they have. As soon as those interests change, their loyalty changes too,” was another sentence he used to send messages from his WhatsApp account.
“Chiqui thinks that the Secanucas are her friends, she is wrong,” she tells her loved ones. The AFA’s treasurer, Pablo Toviggino, whom he says he does not know, would not be part of this group.
The businessman is overwhelmed after the wave of raids and the collapse of his company. As he reflects on his company’s meteoric growth, he shares details about his relationships with some of the executives. And he assures that he gave the clubs more money than he took in. “I didn’t benefit from football, I used it as positioning” responds to another specific request from THE NATION.
Judge Armella ordered raids on a total of 18 clubs this Tuesday. This list includes institutions that had a sponsorship deal with Sur Finanzas, others received loans or donations, and a third group is under investigation for a mysterious triangulation of television rights.
San Lorenzo is a special case. This club received more than $1.6 billion in loans in various transfers about $300 million for TV rightssays a document prepared by the association authorities. This “advance” came on May 8th after a meeting of those responsible on the grounds of the football motherhouse. “The AFA screwed me over with all of this,” Vallejo complains to those around him, without giving any further details.
Vallejo’s business collapse includes his failed venture into Miami. In recent days, the businessman ordered the closure of the six companies he founded in October, Clarín revealed. The companies were for Sales of national team clothing in the run-up to the World Cup and he even planned to open a restaurant with the Argentine seal. “I wanted to ask the AFA to bring the players to dinner,” he said at that point. If the business prospered, his goal was to live in Argentina for six months and in Miami for six months.
Gone are his beginnings in the world of the city, when he met the “Kings of the Blue”. “There are money changers who engage in dirty things and others who are ambitious, it’s not illegal. I made 10 pesos per dollar.” “I am not John Paul II, but I am not Pablo Escobar either.”he told a conversation partner who had been trying to calm his fears in recent days.
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