Aerial view of the stands on the Pedro Bidegain stadium, residence of the Argentine soccer group San Lorenzo. Picture: AFP
BUENOS AIRES:
Argentina’s home soccer league on Monday suspended its ninth matchday in solidarity with Argentine Soccer Affiliation (AFA) chief Claudio Tapia, who was given permission to depart the nation by a courtroom regardless of an ongoing tax fraud investigation.
The courtroom’s ruling was revealed Monday, 5 days after Tapia was barred from leaving the nation over the probe.
“The mere existence of a felony investigation doesn’t in itself represent adequate grounds to forestall the applicant from touring,” the ruling states.
Tax authorities are investigating whether or not the AFA illegally retained retirement contributions from gamers and staff and did not pay taxes amounting to roughly 19 billion pesos (roughly $13.8 million) between March 2024 and September 2025.
Tapia had requested permission to journey to attend a Colombian Soccer Federation occasion in Barranquilla, adopted by a South American soccer federation (Conmebol) board assembly in Rio de Janeiro.
The courtroom imposed bail of 5 million pesos (roughly $3,500) to permit him to depart the nation.
Tapia has been summoned to seem in courtroom on March 5, together with the AFA treasurer and three different officers.
The ninth spherical of Argentina’s Apertura event was suspended on Monday on the request of soccer golf equipment, in solidarity with the Argentine Soccer Affiliation (AFA), the league mentioned in an announcement.
Membership leaders referred to as for a “work stoppage” between March 5 and March 8, the Liga Profesional de Futbol mentioned in an announcement on X.
The AFA can be below investigation for alleged cash laundering, which led to a search of its premises in December, together with a number of first division golf equipment reminiscent of Racing, Independiente, and San Lorenzo.
The AFA says it’s the sufferer of a “smear marketing campaign” amid a dispute with a businessman over the group of Argentina pleasant internationals.
The AFA says the right-wing authorities of President Javier Milei is concerned.
Milei favors turning soccer golf equipment, that are non-profit associations, into publicly traded sports activities firms.
AFA guidelines don’t permit this.
The dispute coincides with a collection of normal strikes towards Milei’s contentious labor reforms.
Following the announcement of the soccer league’s strike, pro-government lawmaker Silvana Giudici advised native media that “there is no such thing as a political persecution” within the case, and that the complaints made by the federal government had been “applicable.”
“I hope the golf equipment understand this and don’t develop into hostages to those guys,” she mentioned, referring to Tapia and AFA Treasurer Pablo Toviggino.
