Going all in: Vélez formally lodged a complaint against Boca | OneFootball

The controversy keeps adding new chapters. On Friday night, reports circulated that Boca committed a rules violation due to the improper inclusion of players in the match (a penalty shootout win) against Vélez. In other words, they listed six foreign players on the team sheet for the Copa Argentina round of 16, and Fortín are going all in.

This Saturday afternoon, the Liniers club officially filed its complaint. They submitted an extensive brief to the AFA Disciplinary Tribunal accusing the Xeneize of committing an irregularity and are pushing to be awarded a place in the quarterfinals of the tournament by decision off the field.

“The complaint is based on an objective and documented fact: Boca Juniors included six foreign players on the official match sheet when the current regulations set a maximum of five eligible to be listed. The situation is evident from the official match sheet itself and from the records in AFA’s COMET system,” begins the statement they published on their official social media accounts.

Álvaro Montero saved 2 penalties in the shootout to help Boca eliminate Vélez. Photo: Fotobaires.

Vélez are being clear: they do not want financial penalties or arguments that further blow up the situation. They want “the improper lineup to be declared proven and, consequently, our club’s qualification to the Copa Argentina quarterfinals to be recognized.” They also want Article 31 of the Collective Labor Agreement (amended in 2019) to be enforced. It states that clubs affiliated with AFA and competing in the First Division may register a maximum of six players, of whom five are eligible to sign the team sheet for official matches.

What sanction could Boca face?

At first, there was speculation that the club from La Ribera could be disqualified from the competition and Vélez could take its place, as the Liniers club itself is requesting. However, if the Disciplinary Tribunal rules in Fortín’s favor, Boca would only face a financial penalty because it is considered not to have gained a sporting advantage, given that the sixth foreign player (Ángel Romero) did not play a single minute.

Boca looks for reassurance in FIFA case law

FIFA Case Law is an official database compiling the resolution of disputes across the world of football. In this matter, AFA could rely on this innovation from the governing body launched in September 2025, since they believe Xeneize gained no sporting advantage.

Since only the eleven players on the field are interpreted as constituting the “team” (substitutes are not part of the team until they come on), Boca should not be disqualified for not breaching Article 107 of the Regulations on Violations and Penalties (forfeiture of the match due to an ineligible player). However, they would still receive a financial penalty for committing an administrative error.

Keep reading:

Juan Román Riquelme’s jab at Berlanga over Vélez’s statement

From Vélez’s complaint to Boca’s calm over the improper inclusion of foreign players

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

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