Buenos Aires, November 26 (NA) -- A message has gone viral in which leaders of the Argentine Football Association (AFA) would be asking clubs to show their support on social networks. According to what Argentine News Agency learned, the supposed request would state that the AFA “is being struck by blows built on falsehoods, disinformation campaigns and media operations.” The text was shared by lawyer Constanza Bravi, who is investigating the mother entity of Argentine football since the presidency of Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia, who had denounced it two years ago. In the midst of a scandal over the new “League Champion” title awarded to Rosario Central and a money laundering case against the financier Sur Finanzas, linked to Tapia, an internal message between the AFA and the press departments of the clubs went viral, requesting support in the media. The problems at the national football's governing body began on Thursday, with the controversial designation of Rosario Central as the winner of said title, which was not put to a vote and generated such repudiation on social networks that it ended in the “corridor of honor” with their backs turned, which Estudiantes performed. As the tribute to the rival team had been determined by the AFA and only partially fulfilled by the “Pincha” players, the association emphasized Official Bulletin 6625, which mentions that the corridor must be performed facing the champions. In any case, IT experts discovered that this bulletin, dated February of this year, was not drafted until the evening of Thursday, so the tournament organizing body began to be investigated for tampering with official documents. A few days later, the General Tax Directorate (DGI) denounced Sur Finanzas, the company linked to the president of the AFA, for laundering a total of $72,342 million, using 74 fake companies. The financier, managed by Ariel Vallejo, began to become known as the main sponsor of Banfield in 2022, and quickly made its way into Argentine football, even sponsoring the Argentine national team and giving its name to the reserve tournament of the First Division. In addition, it is also located on the chest of the shirt of Barracas Central, a club that was chaired by “Chiqui” Tapia from 2001 to 2020 and whose stadium bears his name. In this context, according to the message shared by the mentioned lawyer, the AFA would have requested support for Claudio Tapia and the entity's treasurer and president of the Federal Council, Pablo Toviggino. “It is essential to express our public support, reaffirm the legitimacy of the management and show that Argentine football as a whole, as well as the civil associations that make it up, remain united and committed to their authorities,” the text message states. Argentine second division clubs were the first to come out in support of the board of directors of the Argentine Football Association (AFA), with official statements from entities such as Quilmes, Los Andes, Nueva Chicago, and Deportivo Madryn, which has accumulated two controversies in its run through the reduced tournament, among other institutions.
