The president of the Argentine Football Association (AFA), Claudio 'Chiqui' Tapia, was booed by the crowd at La Bombonera stadium as he entered the venue where the Argentine national team was facing Mauritania. According to the Argentine News Agency, the top official of national football was honored by Juan Román Riquelme, president of Boca Juniors, who also received an award for his time with the national team. His appearance, walking towards the center of the pitch and introduced by the stadium's announcer, motivated a large number of people to show their disapproval. Despite being the AFA president during the last World Cup, as well as the Finalissima and two Copa América titles, Tapia continues to be repudiated on many Argentine football fields, and La Bombonera was no exception. 'Chiqui' appeared on the field a few minutes before the start of the match, accompanied by Riquelme and other leaders, and initially gave a plaque as a recognition to the former Boca player. As explained by the stadium's announcer, the message congratulated the 'Xeneize' executive for his time with the national team, his U-20 World Cup win in Malaysia in 1997, his participation in the 2006 World Cup in Germany, and his time as captain of the national team, where he also wore the historic number 10 shirt. Additionally, the local club's leadership also distinguished Tapia for his tenure as president of the AFA. Despite the recognition, the crowd made itself heard. A large number of whistles came from the four stands, along with the song that insults him on many stadiums in the country, although with a more timid tone than usual. In any case, the crowd returned to the usual calm that has surrounded the national team lately when the stadium's announcer mentioned Riquelme, the club's idol, as Tapia's companion during the plaque exchange.
