There is no peace. Not only because of the coronavirus but because of the management that has been taking place for a long time in Argentine football. Despite the words to the wind in the presentation of this tournament that begins now (with the attraction that there will be classified by groups), in which there was proud talk of a fictitious unit, the house is not in order. Marches, countermarches, spicy phrases crossed and, the most historical, River and Boca pulling like never before for the same side. Even making, two weeks ago, an official statement against an AFA decision. And now, after the two greats with Jorge Ameal and Rodolfo D’Onofrio at the head met invited by Chiqui Tapia on Thursday, everything points to the Professional League, which replaced the displaced Super League, following that same path.
Hours before the start of the Professional League Cup (a novel format, the first two from each area are classified, two groups of six are assembled and the first two go to a final), it is all so bizarre that it seems to have conceptually decided the end of the ephemeral presidency of Marcelo Tinelli, who commands this League. Tapia accompanied the creation of this League, but now, as confirmed to Olé last night, the idea is that football is handled by the AFA, without any euphemisms. Ameal has been repeating since last year that he refused to double command and River is on the same page, taking into account that this League does not have real independence from the legal point of view.
Federico Beligoy, Claudio Tapia and Marcelo Tinelli, referents of the referees, the AFA and the Professional League. (Photo: @ligaAFA) .. They were there before the tournament started.
In the talk between Tapia, D’Onofrio and Ameal there was a photo with an intrinsic message: that the president in principle understands the claims of River and Boca, which require more participation in AFA decisions. And the dissolution of the League would lead to that, to definitely get into First Division football without having to listen to permanent voices of attack from the League of various clubs (this week, for example, Malaspina, president of Argentinos, carried everything for the River Camp theme and so did Gymnastics).
What role does Marcelo Tinelli play in all this? Obviously without the Professional Football League he would be very hurt and without the leadership he intended to have from his leadership, living with Tapia and making crumbs with one who stomps like Pablo Toviggino from Santiago.
Chiqui Tapia and Marcelo Tinelli on the grounds of the Argentine Association of Referees. Photo: AFA press
The one from San Lorenzo was already bored on Wednesday, when Tapia got together alone with River and Boca, and when Chiqui was giving the right to River Camp, something that Tinelli did not share as the stage of the League that he presides over …
What is clear is that the superclassic rivals, as Olé anticipated two weeks ago, are closer together than ever and ready to win a place among so many leaders. Winning a place means having weight when talking about the distribution of TV money and making decisions (as when it was defined to remove the descents, something they do not share). They both intend to be permanent protagonists of First Division football in AFA.
It must be taken into account that today D’Onofrio and Ameal do not hold relevant positions at the top of the new and in principle ephemeral League, which has Cristian Malaspina (Argentinos) as vice 1, Hernán Arboleya (Banfield) as vice 1 , vice 3 to Mario Leito (Atlético de Tucumán), executive secretary to Sergio Rapisarda (Velez) and deputy secretary to Gabriel Pellegrino (Gymnastics). Decoratively there is a board of directors of D’Onofrio, Ameal, Moyano and Blanco …
Tapia empowered Tinelli at the time, strategically, to dissolve Mariano Elizondo’s Super League. Marcelo assumed but could never make friends with Boca and River, with whom he had permanent ups and downs. And with the decision to break the TV contract with Fox (they believe that there are great financial risks due to Disney’s judgment), and with the River Camp affair (Boca supported its lifelong rival), they ended up exploiting the big. Chiqui balances and knows that it would be very difficult to govern with the Boca-River tandem as a team. And with the pressure cooker, everything indicates that this League that begins, will have a short route and that in 2021 everything will be defined within AFA, without parallel organization, with a short life.
Everything is possible, unfortunately, in Argentine soccer. Until before starting with a new League, without confirmed TV, the idea of removing him is already advanced. Chau, chau, chau …
THE FRIDAY THAT THE FIXTURE WAS DRAWN
