Argentine soccer's credibility battered by suspicions of corruption, biased refereeing, and controversial trophy awards

"Argentine football could well also be declared a world champion of holding the most scandalous and incomprehensible tournaments. While Lionel Messi's national team was crowned world champion at the Qatar 2022 World Cup and won back-to-back Copa America titles at Brazil 2021 and in the United States in 2024, the Argentine domestic leagues have sunk to a subterranean level, below the threshold of credibility."

"The Argentine Football Association (AFA) has created a two-headed figure that, symbolically, is beginning to tarnish the heroes of Qatar: street murals honoring the world champions have been vandalized by fans of various clubs, angered by the deluge of questionable refereeing decisions and sudden rule changes that are eroding the daily life of the tournaments, an emotional refuge for millions of Argentinians."

"The first major symbolic image of repudiation on a Primera Division (First Division) pitch occurred last Sunday, when Estudiantes de La Plata players turned their backs on their Rosario Central counterparts in the guard of honor before their Clausura round of 16 match. The Rosario-based team, which includes former Real Madrid winger Angel Di Maria, had three days earlier, in an AFA office, been declared champions of a tournament that had already ended, without anyone even knowing there was a title up for grabs."

National team success under Lionel Messi contrasts sharply with a domestic league mired in scandal, confusing rules and eroded credibility. The AFA’s decisions have sparked vandalism of championship murals and growing fan anger over questionable refereeing and sudden rule changes. Players staged symbolic protests, including Estudiantes de La Plata turning their backs during a guard of honor for Rosario Central after Rosario were declared champions in an AFA office despite the tournament having already ended. The First Division’s 30-team format forces Apertura and Clausura splits with group subdivisions and an Annual Table; recent unexplained changes have created uncertainty over Copa Libertadores qualification.

Read at english.elpais.com