Buenos Aires, November 25 (NA) -- Barracas Central's advance to the quarterfinals of the Torneo Clausura (after defeating Riestra 1-0 in extra time) comes amid maximum tension between the leadership of the AFA, presided over by Claudio "Chiqui" Tapia, and one of his main critics, Juan Sebastián Verón, president of Estudiantes de La Plata. According to what the Argentine News Agency learned, the controversy escalated after it was revealed that the AFA used a forged document to justify the threat of sanction against the La Plata club for the "back pass" to Rosario Central, in protest against the invented league title. Although Estudiantes de La Plata (Verón's club) and Barracas Central (Tapia's team) must each overcome their respective ties, the bracket places both teams on opposite sides of the lower half and they could face off in a high-voltage semifinal. Barracas Central has advanced and now awaits the winner of the Union vs. Gimnasia tie. Estudiantes de La Plata must prevail in its path to reach a match against the winner of Racing-River, thus reaching the potential semifinal. If both teams make it to that stage, the sporting showdown would transform into a political battle that would test the already fractured relationship between the AFA and rebellious clubs. The document forgery scandal increases the pressure on the president of the AFA, who cannot fully enjoy Barracas Central's current sporting moment.
Veron was one of the few executives to publicly express his discontent.
The morbid curiosity of a possible semifinal clash
The AFA faked a document to sanction Estudiantes for the back pass
The Clausura Tournament's playoff bracket adds a spicy political ingredient.
