Argentine authorities raided the offices of the country’s football federation early Tuesday as part of a corruption probe, according to local media, heightening tensions between President Javier Milei’s government and national soccer czar Claudio Tapia.
A federal judge ordered searches at Argentine Football Association (AFA) headquarters and at more than a dozen football clubs in relation to a criminal complaint filed by the country’s tax agency against Sur Finanzas, a local financing firm with ties to football leadership.
The company has financial ties to multiple clubs and serves as a sponsor to some of them, including Barracas Central — the team chaired by Tapia’s son. Authorities are reportedly investigating Sur Finanzas for alleged tax evasion and money-laundering.
Neither the AFA nor Sur Finanzas immediately responded to requests for comment.
Milei and Tapia are at odds over the president’s push to allow private ownership of clubs in a football-obsessed nation that still bans such arrangements. A 2024 presidential decree would have allowed teams to become for-profit corporations and bring in outside investors if their members approved, but the AFA rejected the move and a court later froze it.
Tensions flared again last week after Milei abruptly canceled a planned trip to Washington — where he was slated to appear alongside Donald Trump and the World Cup draw — partly due to the brewing football controversy at home.
The timing is delicate for Milei. His government is preparing a major legislative push this week, and the president will want to avoid alienating allies or being blamed for turbulence that could affect the national team’s performance in next year’s FIFA tournament in the US, Mexico and Canada.
Senator Patricia Bullrich, who until recently served as Milei’s security minister, said she would push to investigate corruption allegations against the AFA from her new role in Congress.
by David Feliba, Bloomberg
Comments