AFA President Claudio Tapia under fire over allegations of money laundering

Argentine Football Association (AFA) President Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia is under fire for two judicial probes investigating allegations of money laundering. While one inquiry is looking into a financial company close to him, the other is based on a complaint accusing two people of acting as figureheads for his assets. The corruption allegations put Tapia in the spotlight amid an ongoing dispute between President Javier Milei and AFA over whether to allow the country’s football clubs to become private sporting corporations, known in Spanish as SADs.  The feud was reignited last week after Milei openly showed his support for Estudiantes de la Plata. The club had been recently sanctioned by the AFA for protesting the association’s controversial decision to give Rosario Central a newly created trophy for coming in first on the annual table, a sudden change to the tournament rules that caused an uproar in Argentine football.   Milei is not the only government member feuding with the AFA. Senator-elect Patricia Bullrich, who until Monday was security minister, said she would investigate the corruption allegations against the AFA following the Central scandal. “The country is moving toward order, not arbitrariness. And on this path, the AFA is moving backward, toward total arbitrariness,” she said. “Tapia is surrounded by big shots with million-dollar fortunes,” she added. Money laundering allegations On Monday, Argentine police raided the headquarters of Banfield football club and financial firm Sur Finanzas as part of a money laundering investigation.  The case originated after Argentina’s tax agency, ARCA, detected AR$818 billion (US$553 million) within the company’s finances belonging to shell companies and individuals that did not have the financial capacity to justify their transactions.  The specific inquiry is focusing on a €2 million loan to Banfield that was allegedly incorporated into the club’s assets and was not repaid. According to media reports, the prosecution believes that Sur Finanzas used transfer money paid for a Banfield player to channel illegal funds, as the loan had the transfer amount as collateral.  It is unclear how investigators reached the conclusion that this operation was a front for money laundering. The Herald spoke to ARCA representatives, who declined to comment.  Sur Finanzas is no stranger to the football world. According to a journalistic investigation, other clubs have used them to channel their funds — San Lorenzo, Argentinos Juniors, and Racing, among others. Local media have also speculated that the company could have links to Tapia on account of his ties to the firm’s owner, Ariel Vallejo.  The financier, for his part, has not hidden that he is close to Tapia.  “I have a very nice relationship, especially with Chiqui Tapia. We lend money to several clubs that need financing,” he said in 2023. In addition to financial assistance, his company has also sponsored teams such as Racing, Platense, Banfield, and Barracas Central, Tapia’s club, among others.  Vallejo is complying with the investigation. Following the raids, he handed over his phone to the authorities. Banfield is claiming its innocence. A club spokesperson told the Herald that the previous president, Eduardo Spinosa (2012-2018, 2021-2024), did business with Sur Finanzas. The current administration denies it has any link with the financial company. “The club has made itself fully available to the authorities, cooperating in every way necessary to enable them to carry out their investigation,” said the spokesperson. Current club head Matías Mariotto denounced the debt when he took office in 2024. In a statement, Sur Finanzas said that the company has not tried to “hide its existence,” as it has put its “brand on the jerseys of some of Argentina’s most important football clubs.” “All the services provided by our group are carried out in strict compliance with current regulations,” they said. “If any individual or company that has operated with our platforms has irregularly obtained money, it is up to the courts to determine whether they are guilty of any crime, for which they have our full cooperation.” Tapia’s alleged inner circle targeted On Monday, Coalición Cívica leaders Elisa Carrió, Juan Facundo del Gaiso, and Matías Yofe filed a complaint for alleged money laundering against Luciano Nicolás Pantano and Ana Lucía Conte. According to the complaint, Pantano and Conte hold “disproportionate” wealth compared to their declared incomes and acted as intermediaries for Tapia. The accusation does not provide details for this, only mentioning media reports pointing to the connection. The complaint goes on to say that Pantano and Conte own a limited liability company that started with a share capital of AR$300,000 (US$203). As of May last year, the firm had a capital increase of AR$58,000,000 (US$39,300). The accusers allege that the unusual disproportion between their tax profiles and the high economic value of the property allegedly acquired (a large country house in Pilar with “collectible cars, a farm with Arabian and thoroughbred racehorses, a horse training track, a heliport, and multiple sports facilities”) constitutes evidence that warrants investigation.