From Vélez's complaint to Boca's calm over ineligible foreigners | OneFootball

Until Friday night, the clash between Boca and Vélez in the 2026 Copa Argentina round of 16 seemed to have been settled on penalties, with Rodolfo Arruabarrena’s side advancing to the quarterfinals. But an unbelievable mistake changed the picture.

The Liniers side found an error on the team sheet signed by the Xeneize: the regulations state that each squad may have up to six foreign players under contract, but only a maximum of five can be included in the matchday squad.

Boca started Álvaro Montero, Leandro Lozano and Sebastián Villa, while Carlos Palacios and Enner Valencia came on in the second half. But Ángel Romero was also among the substitutes, something Vélez is pointing to as a breach of the rules.

El Fortín came out swinging and asked for the Xeneize to be disqualified from the competition and for the quarterfinal berth to be awarded to them, where Racing would be the opponent. So, a slip-up from which the blue-and-gold side gained no advantage sparked a scandal with no clear precedent to help explain what the outcome might be.

The article Vélez is using to request Boca’s disqualification

The Liniers side wants to enforce what Article 31 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement says, which was amended in 2019. The article explains that clubs affiliated with the AFA and playing in the Primera División may register a maximum of six foreign footballers under contract. Of those, only five, whether professionals or not, are eligible to be listed on the team sheet for official matches.

Vélez has already submitted its complaint to the AFA and was clear: no fines and no debates. It wants the quarterfinal spot, arguing that the current regulations set a maximum of five players eligible to appear on the team sheet. It also says this should not be a matter of interpretation or refereeing discussion, since they believe that “this is about compliance with a current rule and official documentation that proves it was not complied with.”

On top of that, El Fortín also requested the suspension of the sporting effects of Boca’s qualification achieved on the field until there is a final ruling on its protest.

Boca’s calm in the face of Vélez’s complaint

So far, it’s not that the Xeneize is unaware of what is happening or turning a deaf ear to the situation. In fact, both the coaching staff and the club’s leadership knew about this and have their arguments to explain why the six players signed the team sheet.

The rule, in point four, overlaps with point one and adds that, in order to have six registered foreign players, the club must have at least two footballers who have played a minimum of ten official matches for their senior national teams. According to the players’ union, everything done by the blue-and-gold side was within the rules, since this allows not only their registration but also their inclusion on match team sheets.

For the AFA, this is also a straightforward matter. They believe it amounts to nothing more than an administrative error and that there was no sporting advantage, something FIFA also takes into account in these cases. Ángel Romero did not take part in the match, did not influence the result, and on the field the better side was Arruabarrena’s team.

The AFA does not believe Boca gained any sporting advantage despite the improper inclusion.

Even more favorable for Boca, this year’s Liga Profesional de Fútbol regulations do not include among their articles the point that limits to five the number of foreign players who can sign the team sheet, nor to six the number who can be registered. This gray area is another of the arguments that the club believes works in its favor and would be the reason for its temporary silence amid the noise coming from Liniers.

Can Boca be eliminated?

Yes, theoretically, if Vélez’s complaint reaches the Disciplinary Tribunal and it considers that there was an ineligible lineup, the opponent could be awarded the place even though the result on the field was different.

Although it should also be noted that, in terms of official information, for the competition Racing’s quarterfinal opponent is Boca and the result obtained at the Mario Alberto Kempes Stadium still stands. There are also no signs that El Fortín’s complaint has been accepted.

Boca’s celebration after qualifying for the quarterfinals. Photo: CA.

In that context, the Xeneize is still maintaining its stance of not making any statement and believes it is unnecessary unless the situation escalates to the point of threatening its participation in the Copa Argentina.

Could there be more sanctions for Boca?

Yes, Boca could face sanctions even if it is not considered an ineligible lineup, although they would be minor punishments compared to disqualification. The club could have to pay a fine, but nothing too serious considering that losing the points would be much worse.

A precedent involving Boca

Although it was a different situation, Boca and Talleres drew 0-0 in 2021. After the match, the AFA informed Boca that the Córdoba side had improperly included Diego García, since his loan had expired and they had not informed the AFA of the renewal of his deal with Estudiantes. At that time, Jorge Bermúdez was part of the Football Council and was quite clear.

“We want to compete. The match was played and it ended in a draw. We will not seek at the desk anything we did not fight for on the field,” explained the Colombian, who repeatedly stated that they would not try to gain an administrative advantage and that the sporting result had been fair for both sides.

Keep reading:

Going all in: Vélez formally filed its complaint against Boca

Boca’s player ratings in the qualification for the Copa Argentina quarterfinals

Arruabarrena revealed how Paredes is doing after asking to be substituted against Vélez

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.