Argentine football unrest, clubs call for strike

 Argentine football unrest, clubs call for strike

Argentina is the current world champion of football. However, their country's club football has been in turmoil for quite some time.

Although it is not an incident on the field, the game has become more lively in the courtroom and tax office documents. And as a result, all games of the ninth round of the Argentine Football League have been postponed.

The league authorities announced this decision in a statement yesterday.

The decision was taken in solidarity with Claudio Tapia, the president of the Argentine Football Association (AFA), who is accused of corruption. The court banned Tapia from leaving the country on charges of tax evasion. Although the ban was later lifted, the league authorities have called for a strike.

Last week, the court banned Tapia from leaving the country, stating that an investigation into tax evasion is underway. But yesterday, the court reversed that decision and allowed him to go abroad. The court ruling said, “No one can be prevented from traveling abroad just because an investigation is underway.”

The country’s tax authorities claim that the AFA has withheld retirement benefits from players and staff and has not paid about 19 billion pesos (about 168 crore 93 lakh taka) in taxes from March 2024 to September 2025.

There are also allegations of money laundering. In addition to the AFA headquarters, police searched clubs such as Racing, Independiente and San Lorenzo last December.

In the meantime, Tapia asked the court for permission to attend a football federation event in Barranquilla, Colombia, and later to attend a CONMEBOL board meeting in Rio de Janeiro. The court granted the permission subject to a bail of 5 million pesos. However, Tapia and three other officials, including AFA treasurer Tovigino, have been summoned to court on March 5.

Argentine clubs have united and called for a league strike from March 5 to 8. The day of the court appearance of AFA officials, including Tapia, has been the focus of the protest.

The AFA sees the whole incident as a "dirty propaganda" against them. They claim that the government of the country's right-wing President Javier Milley is behind this conspiracy. Milley wants to convert these unprofitable football clubs into public limited companies, which is against the current policies of the AFA.

However, government-backed lawmaker Silvana Giudicci responded by saying, "There is no political vendetta here. I hope the clubs will not be held hostage by these people (Tapia and treasurer Tovigino)."