Argentina football scandal: Judge orders raid of Argentine Football Association as part of corruption probe
BUENOS AIRES, Dec 9 (Reuters) - A federal judge has ordered raids of the Argentine Football Association and a group of soccer clubs as part of an investigation into suspected money laundering, according to local media.
Federal police entered the AFA’s headquarters in Buenos Aires on Tuesday morning.
The raids stem from allegations of money laundering tied to the financial services firm Sur Finanzas, news outlet La Nacion reported.
Sign up to The Nightly's newsletters.
Get the first look at the digital newspaper, curated daily stories and breaking headlines delivered to your inbox.
By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.The judge ordered raids on more than 10 soccer clubs, including top-tier clubs Racing, San Lorenzo and Independiente.
Sur Finanzas, the AFA and a spokesperson for prosecutors did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The federal court in Lomas de Zamora, a district in the province of Buenos Aires, from which La Nacion said the judge ordered the raids, could not immediately be reached.
San Lorenzo and Independiente did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In a post on X, Racing said it had reached a commercial agreement with Sur Finanzas in 2023 in relation to publicity and sponsorship in a contract that will end this year.
“We’re at the disposition of the Justice (system) so that this process develops according to the law,” it said.
La Nacion said the probe had arisen from a criminal complaint that focused on transfers of money between soccer clubs and Sur Finanzas’ payment service platform.
The raids could increase tensions between AFA president Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia and President Javier Milei.
Mr Milei has pushed for Argentina’s soccer clubs, which have long functioned as non-profit organizations run by their members, to become for-profit companies under private owners.
The AFA has fought against legal efforts by Milei to allow for-profit clubs to join the association.
San Lorenzo was in the headlines last month when the club’s professional squad issued a statement claiming they had not been paid since August and that they were not being fed enough or even getting hot water in their training facilities.
The statement cite players “deep concern and discomfort”, while slamming club management for what it described as “unfulfilled promises of solutions”.
