The treasurer of the Argentine Football Association (AFA), Pablo Toviggino, publicly backed President Claudio Tapia amid the strike plaguing Argentine football and the tense institutional climate surrounding the sport. The leader called for unity within the leadership and defended the current management during the third Federal Council meeting, which brought together over 3,000 representatives of leagues and clubs from across the country in Córdoba. The statements came after the conclusion of the meeting held at the Instituto microstadium. 'Argentine football is one, Claudio Tapia is the president, and let's defend his management,' he concluded. Tapia and Toviggino's Inquiry. Toviggino's statements gained prominence as they came after the inquiry into AFA President Claudio 'Chiqui' Tapia, in the case investigating alleged irregularities related to pension contributions and taxes, was postponed to March 12 following a change of lawyer. According to the Argentine News Agency, the change in legal representation forced the rescheduling of the hearing. The investigation, being handled by the Economic Criminal Justice system, aims to determine if there were irregularities in the withholding and payment of taxes related to Argentine football in a case that also involves other AFA leaders and has caused a strong impact in the sports and political spheres. The statements were also made in the context of a full strike in Argentine football, as the AFA suspended all official activity between March 5 and 8, a measure that affected all categories and forced the postponement of date 9 of the 2026 Apertura Tournament. The decision was made by the clubs in support of the AFA and its president, Claudio 'Chiqui' Tapia, who became embroiled in a judicial case for alleged tax irregularities. 'Let's defend the history,' Toviggino stated in an interview with the Furia Sport outlet, as reported by the Argentine News Agency. Toviggino reinforced his stance with a direct definition of the current head of the national football governing body: 'The best president in the history of Argentine football is named Claudio Tapia, and we have to defend the history because he is the one who gave us the place we have today in Argentine football,' he affirmed. Furthermore, the AFA treasurer insisted on the need to maintain the current leadership without divisions within the management: 'The best president of Argentine football is named Claudio Tapia and he gave us this place, and today we have to defend it all together, hand in hand, without fights, without anything,' he said. Finally, when asked about the criticisms and judicial cases surrounding the AFA, the treasurer called for reducing the level of confrontation and maintaining the institutional course: 'Let's discuss something else.' There, in response to questions about the political, judicial, and media context surrounding Argentine football, the Santiago executive was categorical in his support for the head of the AFA. 'The political blows? Let's defend the management of the best president.' The complaint was filed by the Revenue and Customs Control Agency (ARCA) and also includes other leaders of the entity. The strike means that no matches from the Professional League, the promotion league, women's football, or the youth divisions will be played during those days. The suspended tournament date was rescheduled for the weekend of May 3.
