Ahead of Finalissima clash with Spain, Argentina beset by scandal
A month out from the Albiceleste’s Finalissima matchup with the European champions, Argentinian soccer executives are facing allegations of multi-million-dollar corruption.
Suspicions of corruption and money laundering involving Argentine soccer executives - specifically federation president Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia - threaten to trigger legal action and commercial blowback that put the country’s soccer federation (AFA) squarely in the crosshairs just one month before the upcoming Finalissima between Argentina and Spain. The case mirrors, and may even surpass, the corruption scandal that rocked FIFA years ago, a saga that morphed into a global firestorm and resulted in the downfall of several of its top power brokers.
According to information obtained by AS, the AFA has allegedly been using shell companies to bill its sponsors and launder funds. Since Tapia took over as president, sponsors were allegedly instructed to send their payments to entities that have no connection to soccer - companies that subsequently funneled money back to the AFA. The stated justification from federation officials was to avoid the devaluation of the Argentine peso. In reality, however, a significant portion of those transferred funds appears to have remained within those intermediary companies instead of reaching the federation’s accounts.
One of the companies, Odeoma, along with a beauty salon on the outskirts of the Spanish capital Madrid, reportedly received $8 million in what appears to be a diversion of funds. Several of the AFA’s primary sponsors have already sounded the alarm. Adidas has suspended its payments, an executive from another major sponsor claims that only a fraction of its multimillion‑dollar investment has made it to the AFA, and Coca‑Cola is considering filing a legal complaint against Tapia and his leadership team.
Origins of the scandal
The situation began to unravel in the days leading up to the official announcement of the matchup between the European and South American champions, roughly three months ago. Despite agreement among all parties, the alleged irregularities inside the AFA delayed the announcement and threatened the staging of the match altogether. The seizure of several luxury vehicles at the home of an AFA executive brought the allegations into sharp focus. But the concerns go much deeper: private flights, upscale homes, and other assets whose origins remain unexplained.
In fact, legal proceedings have already begun in Argentina, and a separate case could also be opened in the United States against Tapia for alleged money laundering. Just days ago, economic crime judge Diego Amarante summoned Tapia and AFA treasurer Pablo Toviggino for questioning and barred them from leaving the country on suspicion of embezzlement. The judge was responding to a complaint filed by ARCA - the Argentine Revenue and Customs Control Agency - and called both the AFA as an institution and Tapia individually to testify.
League‑wide strike
Despite the mounting accusations, the response from clubs across Argentina’s top division has been unanimous support for the AFA. The federation called for a league‑wide strike for the weekend of March 5-8, coinciding with Matchday 9 of the domestic championship. Not even Diego Maradona’s death brought league play to a halt - yet now the competition is expected to pause, a sign of the extraordinary influence wielded by the current leadership within a corruption scheme that appears to involve prominent figures across multiple clubs and organizations.
Argentina is facing an institutional crisis of enormous magnitude. Estimates suggest that Tapia and several other AFA officials may have diverted hundreds of millions of dollars. It’s a scandal that FIFA is unlikely to tolerate and one that erupts just as the Finalissima and the World Cup - competitions this federation leadership may not survive long enough to oversee - approach on the calendar.
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