American magnate Foster Gillett is set to sue Estudiantes de La Plata for “damages and losses” and demand the repayment of a 9.7 million dollar loan he made at the beginning of last year when he partnered with the club. As reported by the Argentine News Agency, the American businessman joined forces with the La Plata club at the start of last year, amidst a government initiative to establish Sports Corporations in Argentina. With a significant and notable presence in the January 2025 transfer market, Gillett set the agenda for Argentine football in that first half of the year, but by the second half, the magnate vanished overnight, taking his economic capital with him. In his absence, Estudiantes won the Clausura Tournament and the Champions Trophy in December, and a few weeks ago, they had to let go of midfielder Cristian Medina, a cornerstone of the team under Eduardo Domínguez, who arrived with Gillett in January, activating the buyout clause he had from Boca. The sale of the player to Botafogo of Brazil for that paltry amount finally broke the relationship between Gillett and the president of Estudiantes, Juan Sebastián Verón, to whom the businessman will demand a fine for failing to vote for the corporation in the Board of Directors, a situation that never materialized. Nevertheless, the magnate and his investment group plan to file a lawsuit against Estudiantes for “damages and losses” and demand the return of the initial 9.7 million dollar loan. Gillett's desperation and hurry to recover this loan stem from the debt generated by his Uruguayan club, Rampla Juniors, which, if it does not reduce its liabilities in the coming weeks, will face severe sanctions and could be unable to play for the entire year. Likewise, in Argentina, the Justice system has initiated an investigation into money laundering surrounding deals worth around 30 million dollars, including those involving the aforementioned Medina, Rodrigo Villagra, Valentín Gómez, and Ezequiel Piovi.
