Ernesto Cherquis Bialo: Obituary of Argentine Sports Journalist

Ernesto Cherquis Bialo, a prominent Argentine sports journalist, passed away on Friday at the age of 85 after a battle with leukemia. Cherquis Bialo began his career in the 1960s with the iconic sports magazine El Gráfico, where he eventually served as director until the end of 1990. He led the publication during the historic 1986 World Cup, a period that saw nearly 600,000 copies sold after Argentina’s championship victory.

Throughout his distinguished career, Cherquis Bialo worked alongside renowned journalists such as Fontanarrosa, Juvenal, Daniel Arcucci, Aldo Proietto, Natalio Gorin, Héctor Vega Onesime, José Luis Barrio, Luis Hernández, and Juan José Panno. He specialized in boxing, and his coverage of world title fights remains fondly remembered by sports enthusiasts. He closely followed the career of Carlos Monzón, with whom he shared a personal friendship, as well as producer Juan Carlos Lectoure. Under his leadership, it became standard practice to feature any boxer who won a championship on the cover of the magazine the following Monday, regardless of the results of games involving River Plate or Boca Juniors. At one point, he wrote under the pseudonym Robinson.

In an interview with the Spanish newspaper El País, Cherquis Bialo stated: “Carlos Monzón was the greatest world champion Argentina has ever had, without a doubt. Ringo Bonavena was a titan in an era of enormous heavyweight champions that we no longer see. Víctor Galíndez was as well great, with an unforgettable epic against Richie Kates in South Africa. Santos Laciar, Horacio Accavallo were also greats, as was Uby Sacco, although his career was short-lived due to a demanding life. Boxing was the second most popular sport, competing with auto racing. And the covers of El Gráfico reflected that.”

Among the personalities he interviewed were Muhammad Ali, Pelé, Di Stéfano, and Bobby Fischer. He co-authored the authorized biography of Maradona, “Yo soy el Diego de la Gente,” with Arcucci.

Cherquis Bialo transitioned to sports management at Telefé after leaving Editorial Atlántida. Following a stint in Córdoba, where he worked on local radio stations, he took over as the host of the “Oral Deportiva” program in 1993, following the death of José María Muñoz. He then partnered with commentator Walter Saavedra, with Quique Sacco as part of the team. He insisted that recorded interviews be no longer than 20 seconds. Despite the broadcast beginning at 7:00 PM, he would organize production meetings in the morning to ensure all material was prepared in advance.

Colleagues who worked under his direction remember his high standards and strong personality, while also valuing the learning experience.

He made numerous appearances on “Tribuna Caliente,” a debate show initially produced by Gerardo Sofovich and later by Torneos y Competencias. He shared the panel with Carlos Juvenal, Roberto Ayala, Horacio García Blanco, and Guillermo Nimo. He also co-hosted “Tres en el Fondo” on Televisión Pública with Marcelo Araujo, who also recently passed away. The show featured interviews with former soccer players and offered sharp criticism of the management of Argentine soccer.

Cherquis Bialo also participated in the political life of San Lorenzo, the club he supported. He ran as part of a ticket that did not win the presidential elections.

Shortly after, Julio Grondona appointed him as the AFA’s press chief, a position he held until 2016. He was tasked with addressing the press during critical situations. A particularly tense moment occurred after River Plate’s relegation, when political pressure led to attempts to formalize a tournament that would unify the Primera División with the then-B Nacional. A radio interview revealed that this project had been decided upon with the support of the Núñez club.

He also announced Grondona’s death in 2014. The emergence of the FIFA-imposed Normalizing Committee created many tense situations for him.

In his later years, he wrote articles and conducted interviews for Infobae, reflecting on various episodes of his career. He also appeared on Flavio Azzaro’s streaming channel.

Born in Uruguay, Cherquis Bialo spent his entire career in Argentina. He was declared a Distinguished Sports Personality by the Buenos Aires City Legislature.