Argentine justice is putting all its forces into motion in the case of the president of the Argentine Football Association (AFA), Claudio "Chiqui" Tapia.
Federal Judge Daniel Rafecas ordered new raids in a gated community in Pilar, where a luxury property registered in the name of Real Central SRL, linked to Luciano Pantano and Ana Lucia Conte, suspected of having ties to the AFA president, is under investigation. The two are banned from leaving the country.
The operation is in addition to those carried out in more than fifteen clubs and an office in downtown Buenos Aires, all part of the investigation that seeks to clarify the accumulation of wealth by Tapia and his associates.
Also under investigation are treasurer Pablo Toviggino, identified as a possible resident of the residence, and financial firm Sur Finanzas, accused of operating loans to clubs under abusive conditions.
The case has now gone beyond the world of football. Courts want to know if there was illegal enrichment and the use of celebrities, while FIFA is closely watching to avoid any possible political interference that could exclude Argentina from the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, the prestigious newspaper explains. La Nación.
And amid the scandal, the reigning world champions are treading carefully. Lionel Scaloni is uncertain whether he will play in the final against Spain in March in the Finalissima, another sign of the tense atmosphere currently surrounding the AFA. /Telegraph/
