The Argentine Football Association (AFA) has officially suspended the ninth round of the Apertura tournament, originally scheduled for March 5-8, in response to charges filed by ARCA. The decision coincides with the dates that AFA president Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia and treasurer Pablo Toviggino were summoned to appear in court.
The AFA issued a statement Monday following a meeting of the Executive Committee, rejecting the appeal presented by the Agency for Collection and Customs Control, which alleges the AFA committed the crimes of tax evasion and withholding of contributions. The statement offers a strong defense of the association’s position.
The AFA claims that “it has no outstanding debt” regarding the tax obligations mentioned in the case that led to the summons of its officials, and asserts that payments were made voluntarily before their respective due dates – a matter currently under review by the Court of Appeals.
In response to the charges, and “in repudiation” of the complaint, the AFA leadership unanimously agreed to suspend the ninth round of the Professional Football League, as well as all other categories of Argentine soccer.
Prior to the decision, Vélez Sarsfield president Fabián Berlanga had anticipated the possibility of suspending the league. “If necessary, we will do it. We must take the necessary measures,” he told reporters outside the Lionel Andrés Messi training facility.
The Vélez club president also called the summons of Tapia and Toviggino “unfair” and affirmed – in line with the AFA – that the association is current with its obligations.
“It has been demonstrated that everything is paid, and that the reasons for the accusations are unfounded,” the official stated. Berlanga also expressed concern that the situation creates uncertainty in the sport. “Frankly, it seems like a war is being declared on soccer that has nothing to do with it,” he said.
He also criticized sports corporations, stating: “They want to impose sports corporations. The clubs and the members, who are the main actors in this issue, have already spoken out and do not want it. We [Vélez] happen to have two lawsuits with two sports corporations abroad that owe us US$100 million.”
Shortly after the statement gained prominence, Tapia took to X to make a brief statement. “Another Executive Committee meeting of the AFA League at the Lionel Andrés Messi training facility, where we discussed very important issues for the future of Argentine soccer. AFA is all of us,” he wrote.
Tapia and Toviggino are scheduled to appear in court on March 5 and 6 after being accused of withholding social security contributions and failing to pay taxes totaling $19.3 billion pesos. The decision was made by Judge Diego Amarante last Thursday. They were also prohibited from leaving the country, although Tapia was granted permission Monday to travel to Colombia and Brazil this week.
The resolution also applies to the AFA as a legal entity, and to officials Cristian Ariel Malaspina, Gustavo Roberto Lorenzo, and Víctor Blanco Rodríguez. In the ruling, the judge stated that there are “sufficient grounds to suspect the involvement of those named in the investigated facts.”
According to the original complaint, there are $7,593,903,512.23 in obligations that were not deposited on time, divided between tax withholdings and social security withholdings. With the subsequent expansion, the reported amount added another $11,759,643,331.62. the total under investigation exceeds $19.3 billion pesos in withholdings and contributions that, according to the accusation, were not deposited with the tax authorities.
The AFA’s decision prompted swift reactions from first division clubs. Most of them publicly expressed their support for the leadership and confirmed their adherence to the strike.
Central Córdoba was one of the first to state its position. The Santiago del Estero club, linked to Toviggino, announced its support for the measure between March 5 and 8 and described the “judicial and media attack” against the AFA as “unfounded,” warning that it creates uncertainty for institutions, players, and workers.
In its statement, it referenced the Sheppard v. Maxwell (1966) ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court to point out that “sensationalist and excessive” coverage can affect the right to a fair trial, and emphasized the need to preserve due process and institutional integrity.
Atlético Tucumán also confirmed its support and backed the position of the mother entity of Argentine soccer. It maintained that the obligations mentioned in the complaint were paid before their due date and considered it “unacceptable” that non-enforceable commitments support a criminal accusation.
Deportivo Riestra expressed similar sentiments, calling the judicial scenario “false” and reiterating the reference to the U.S. Precedent regarding the influence of the press on judicial proceedings. The statement released by the club chaired by Fernando Salorio is almost identical to the one shared by Central Córdoba.
