Journalist Gonzalo Bonadeo analyzed on the program 'Somos Nosotros' the complex political web surrounding the Argentine Football Association (AFA), the figure of Claudio Tapia, and the role of FIFA in supervising national federations.
With a critical tone, the host warned that the recent controversies in Argentine football are merely 'the surface of a much deeper problem.' Bonadeo stated that the intervention of a national federation is only viable when there is solid evidence of corruption or irregularities. He considered the episode to be 'the least important' issue compared to the structural problems plaguing Argentine football.
He emphasized that in the Argentine case, this scenario is practically impossible due to the global interests surrounding the national team and its captain. However, he warned that 'with VAR, it has felt like cheating has become even more institutionalized.' Finally, he highlighted the enormous gap between the leadership conflicts in local football and the performance of the Argentine national team.
He described that 'the AFA is the Argentine arm of FIFA, just as the Argentine Olympic Committee is of the IOC,' and pointed out that this structure turns institutions into autarkic entities difficult to modify from national politics. According to his explanation, 'nobody can imagine Gianni Infantino or Alejandro Domínguez accepting an intervention in the federation where Lionel Messi plays and where Tapia is a strategic partner.' In his analysis, he recalled that the AFA, like other sports entities, functions as a local extension of international bodies.
To illustrate these dynamics, he mentioned historical cases in other countries and ironically alluded to the memorable Abdalá Bucaram.
In another segment, Bonadeo pointed out that the controversies over the title granted to Rosario Central were another symptom of a worn-out system. In this sense, he remembered that the appointment of Lionel Scaloni was an unexpected merit for the AFA, comparable in its historical effect to the decisions taken by César Luis Menotti and Carlos Bilardo at the time.
He also marked contradictions in the stance of some leaders: he criticized that Independiente, managed by 'two people with great political trust' —referring to Néstor Grindetti and Cristian Ritondo— did not oppose the decision of the Executive Committee when Estudiantes de La Plata did. For Bonadeo, this data shows 'where the interests align' within the power map.
Regarding the discussion of sports corporations, the journalist dismissed it as a real threat, calling it 'another smoke bomb.' He affirmed that the 'Scaloneta' functions as a 'shield' for the current leadership: the sporting successes, he assured, cushion criticisms that in another context would have a greater impact. He compared the debate with the divorce law: 'It exists, but nobody is obliged to get divorced,' he stated, to explain that the mere existence of a legal framework does not imply an imposition.
Bonadeo also referred to the historical arbitration problem in Argentine football, remembering that 'cheating comes from before VAR' and that even in the 40s, they sought to bring English referees to improve transparency.
