Leaders of Argentine football decided to call a total strike of activities between March 5 and 8 as a political sign of support for the leadership of the Argentine Football Association (AFA) in the face of judicial advance against Claudio Tapia and Pablo Toviggino. The measure, defined in the Executive Committee, was presented by the clubs as an institutional defense of the management model of national football, according to the Argentine News Agency. The main spokesperson was Cristian Malaspina, president of Argentinos Juniors and general secretary of the AFA, who assured that the decision was taken "unanimously" and responded to what he described as a "constant attack" against the entity and its leaders. According to his explanation, the strike seeks to set a limit against what they consider a judicial and political subjugation, while stating that during the meeting, internal information was exposed that would demonstrate that the complaint promoted by ARCA lacks solid foundations. Malaspina affirmed that the conflict exceeds the penal and is linked to the discussion about the future of Argentine football. In his view, the judicial investigation is framed in the dispute over the implementation of Sports Corporations (SAD), a model rejected by the majority of the clubs. "What is at stake are the clubs," he stressed, highlighting the social and community role of centennial institutions managed as civil associations. The position was publicly supported by Mario Leito, Fabián Berlanga, Hernán Arbolea, Matías Mariotto, and Sergio Costantino, who accompanied the institutional message without internal questioning. Leito pointed out that the complaints appear after the leadership's refusal to accept the SAD, while Berlanga highlighted that the AFA represents clubs of all categories that perform social functions beyond sports. Arbolea added that the institutions must defend their historical identity and maintained that the judicial accusations reflect the attempt to modify the current model. The meeting counted on 26 of the 30 First Division clubs. Boca sent a delegate to inform its leadership while traveling for the Argentine Cup, Aldosivi and Estudiantes de Río Cuarto justified their absence and then adhered to the strike, while Estudiantes de La Plata was the only one who did not attend nor set a public position. Who attended: Ignacio Villarroel, vice president of River; Martín Ferré, second vice president of Racing; Kevin Feldman, general secretary of Racing; Mario Leito, president of Atlético Tucumán; Fabián Berlanga, president of Vélez; Cristian Malaspina, president of Argentinos Juniors; Daniel Vila, president of Independiente Rivadavia de Mendoza; Juan Manuel Cavagliatto, president of Instituto; Pablo Bianchini, vice president of Platense; Hernán Arbolea, director of Lanús; Matías Mariotto, president of Banfield; Marcelo Vázquez, second vice president of San Lorenzo; Néstor Grindetti, president of Independiente.
