The The Argentine Football Association (AFA) issued a statement following the complaint from national senator Patricia Bullrich before the Ethics Court of the South American Football Confederation (Conmebol) and highlighted the achievements of Claudio Tapia’s leadership as president
The Argentine football regulator assured that When Tapia took office in 2017, they found themselves “with a destroyed institution. Financially, the house of Argentine football found itself in a difficult situation, with debts accumulating and obligations to clubs not being fulfilled. “The dependence on external resources, such as the Fútbol Para Todos program, had resulted in the association no longer having financial autonomy and management being unclear.”
AFA responded to government criticism
“In institutional terms, the situation was equally critical. After the death of Julio Grondona, the AFA no longer had a solid leadership. The episode of the famous ’38-38′ in the 2015 elections was a mistake that showed the world the lack of seriousness of our internal processes. FIFA had to intervene in 2016 with a normalization commission to avoid sanctions and to ensure, among other things, that our tournaments could continue to be held and our national teams could continue to compete,” he added the AFA.
In addition, the company emphasized that “the public image was damaged. The clubs were divided, the coaches resigned and even our top representatives of the national team considered resigning. It was a scenario of total discredit, with the risk of international sanctions and without the trust of fans or society.”
In parallel, the statement highlighted that “from this day until today Not only has it regained its position in world football, but it has become, as we now like to say, a surplus organization that today does not receive a single peso from the state. The Technical Corps, which preceded the current leadership, was owed debts of up to three months’ salary, all of which were regularized. Currently, the AFA, with a staff of 1,300 people (including technical corps, medical corps, support staff, administrative staff, referees, observers and inspectors), has a monthly salary expenditure of about 4,000 million pesos. We reiterate that this will happen without subsidies from the nation state.”
“Our ‘Lionel Andrés Messi’ facility is of international standard. 24 teams, women and men, train there from all disciplines, including eleven, futsal and beach soccer. Approximately 1,000 people pass through the facility and 400 athletes are fed in the dining rooms every day. With initiative, creativity and our own efforts and those who accompany us in these efforts, we are bringing professionalization to all categories of men’s football, including the first division.” “A” of women’s football,” he added.
As if that were not enough, the statement is also directly aimed at former presidents Mauricio Macri and Alberto Fernández and at the current national government: “Under the presidency of the engineer Mauricio Macri, we have had to endure constant threats of intervention, complaints of bribery, influence peddling, money laundering and other inventions, all with the aim of establishing a management model different from the one chosen by Argentine football. This apparent action was neither casual nor innocent, they probably defended.” special interests.”
“Then, during the government of Dr. Alberto Fernández, the former president publicly spoke out against this leadership and tried to appoint his own candidate to direct the destinies of the AFA, obviously against what had been democratically elected. In addition, already during the presidency of Dr. Javier Milei, we had to face the coordinated attack of his Minister of Justice, Dr. Bullrich, who pushed the IGJ and tried to prevent the holding of the AFA assembly and the full exercise of the democratic right of the “To hinder leadership from expressing their free choice through something as simple, clear and transparent as voting,” he adds.
The AFA concluded by highlighting the successes of Argentine football both in terms of national teams and at club level during this management, which began in 2017.
The full AFA statement.
Patricia Bullrich denounced alleged irregularities in the AFA before Conmebol
The national senator Patricia Bullrich formalized a presentation to the ethics committee of the Conmebol against the president of the AFA, Claudio “Chiqui” Tapiaand the treasurer Pablo Tovigginowhom he supposedly blames fraudulent maneuvers and irregular management of funds.
The official made the complaint known on her social networks and called for a thorough investigation into the behavior of Argentine football. “You must investigate this mafia thoroughly under the leadership of the AFA and dirty Argentine football” he wrote on his X account.
In the same message, Bullrich questioned the use of the club’s revenue: “At Mansions, Ferraris and all that dirty money I wonder what we saw on the news: Where does the income from advertising and the national team come from? Why are the prices for the Champions lower than Tapia’s flights around the world?”
What is the point of a formal complaint?
The senator expanded on her criticism with a series of questions about the inner life the AFA and its financial connections. “Sur Finance manages club debts in exchange for favors and votes? How about hiring your own companies? And withholding contributions? The list of irregularities and dubious money management is endless. If they do, they have to pay for it. Cut,” he said.
According to the document presented – to which he had access The nation—, Bullrich accuses Tapia and Toviggino, “alleged violations of the Conmebol Code of Ethics”. The document refers to non-compliance related to “the principles of integrity, fiduciary duty, conflict of interest, transparency in contracting, appropriate use of resources and prevention of money laundering within member associations.”
The presentation claims that the reported events threaten the standards of transparency and good governance required by the South American company and justifies the intervention of the Ethics Court due to the regional implications of the case.
“Given that the events involve the leadership of one of Conmebol’s main member associations and that they are linked to financial flows, contracts and institutional relationships that go beyond the purely local area, This has a direct impact on the integrity, credibility and reputation of the South American football system.“says the text.
Assets, contracts and legal cases
Issues raised include alleged conflicts of interest, the existence of ongoing judicial investigations into money laundering and tax evasion, and the use of intermediary companies, as in the case of Real Central SRL
Also mentioned are the Purchase from high-quality goods –Villas and luxury vehicles – through companies linked to the management environment, direct contracts with affiliated companies and capital growth that Bullrich considered “abrupt and inconsistent” with reported income.
The lawsuit does not preclude future extensions if “new evidence, court orders, administrative reports, accounting or contractual documents, or other relevant circumstances arise in the course of ongoing judicial and regulatory investigations.”
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