The armed conflict in the Middle East forced a change of venue for the Finalissima between the Argentine National Team and Spain, which was going to be played in Doha, Qatar. In this regard, UEFA expressed their desire for it to be played in Madrid, while the president of AFA, Claudio Chiqui Tapia, expressed his wish for the final to take place at the Monumental, home of River.
Upon leaving the Courts, the top leader of the Argentine football governing body stated: “We are going to start working because Spain wants the Finalissima to be played in Spain and I want it to be played at the Monumental.” This is a counterpoint to the statements of the leader of the Royal Spanish Football Federation, Rafael Louzán, who proposed the Santiago Bernabéu to host the great event.
“It is a match that should be in a neutral stadium. It is evident that it seems it should be in Europe. If circumstances lead us where they lead us, most players are in Europe, it seems logical that this is what can finally happen,” said Louzán, in a conversation with El Larguero.
Although it sounds logical, the reality is that the event would lose that neutrality characteristic it showed in its previous edition, when the Albiceleste and Italy played at Wembley, one of England’s most iconic stadiums. Meanwhile, Friday, March 27, the date of the tournament, awaits the decision of a venue. There was talk of repeating the English cathedral or Miami, but it coincides with other commitments. Lisbon and Rome appear on the horizon, but nothing has been confirmed yet.
The issue that arises when choosing the Monumental is that on the scheduled day for the Finalissima, the renowned band AC/DC will give a concert. Additionally, they will have two other shows on March 23 and 31, so the Núñez facilities will be adapted with a stage for the group to perform for the fans.
Regarding his court appointment, according to information accessed by TyC Sports, Tapia did not speak during the hearing but submitted a 99-page document and requested priority to leave the country. Subsequently, the official AFA website released a statement expressing their innocence of the charges against them.
“The Argentine Football Association feels obliged to inform that not only did it not commit any crime, but it also exercised a right granted by the State. The AFA submitted all sworn statements, reporting in them all tax obligations and withheld amounts, which in no case refer to contributions from employees,” the text states.
And it continues: “The irreparable damage caused by the campaign to discredit the institution has its starting point in the fact that ARCA promoted this complaint without informing the Judge that the regulation issued by the State, regarding the validity of payment deadlines, is current and applicable as has been demonstrated to the intervening Court.”
To conclude, they reaffirmed their “commitment to institutional transparency.” “We will continue working with responsibility and conviction for all clubs, and for the future of Argentine Football, also focused on the major sporting objectives that are approaching in the coming days,” the document concludes.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.
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