José Alonso rang AFA over Leonel Picco debt, ‘Chiqui’ Tapia replied | OneFootball

The financial dispute between Colón and Platense escalated to the highest political level in Argentine football. As journalist Darío Pignata revealed on the program ADN on RadioGol 96.7, the president of the Sabalero club, José Alonso, decided to go directly to the leadership on Viamonte Street to unlock a situation affecting the coffers of the Santa Fe institution. In this way, the president changed the club’s strategy and placed the claim over the multimillion-dollar debt from the transfer of LeonelPicco under the orbit of the Argentine Football Association.

The host of the radio program explained that last week the president of Colón personally brought the matter before the top authority of the governing body of local football. “Colón’s president placed Platense’s debt in the hands of the Argentine Football Association and Claudio Tapia,” Pignata reported, marking a break from the official’s longstanding stance, as he had usually been more reluctant to engage in this kind of political maneuvering in the offices of Buenos Aires.

Tapia’s response and the background to the multimillion-dollar figure

In response to Alonso’s formal complaint, the AFA president committed to actively intervening to prevent the conflict from reaching the courts. The Radio Gol journalist cited the football chief’s firm position on the matter, saying he would get involved because he sees no reason why Platense should not pay Colón, under the clear premise that he does not want litigation between clubs in his association.

The urgency of Santa Fe’s claim lies in a surprising discovery about the real amounts involved in Picco’s transfer. In Santa Fe, it had been recorded that the deal had been settled for around $900,000; however, Colón’s leadership managed to verify that the player’s subsequent sale abroad was completed for double that amount, reaching $1.8 million. As Pignata explained on air on 96.7, they were trying to shortchange the Santa Fe club during the distribution of the money.

A chain of debts and Colón’s requests at the AFA

This non-payment by the Vicente López club triggered a domino effect that has complicated Colón financially. As a direct consequence of this breach, the Barrio Centenario institution currently has a debt with Arsenal de Sarandí, linked to the mechanisms and players involved in the original Picco negotiation package, which at the time also included the transfer of player Facundo Masuero.

Finally, the information provided on Radio Gol 96.7 highlights that this move by José Alonso represents a drastic change in Colón de Santa Fe’s public relations policy. Although it is unknown whether private talks with Tapia addressed issues related to refereeing or the formal request to allow away fans in the next two matchdays, the key point is purely political. Pignata concluded by emphasizing that Colón did not file a complaint or send a legal notice, but instead politically placed the multimillion-dollar debt that Platense owes them in the hands of Claudio Tapia.

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