River deny AFA’s claim on Rosario Central’s title, back Estudiantes instead | OneFootball

The consecration of Rosario Central as 2025 League Champion continues to generate plenty of discussion. Less than a week after the surprising announcement of the star for the Canalla, River has now stepped in, not only confirming that there was no vote, but also stating that the meeting was not even that of the AFA Executive Committee.

Last Tuesday, River’s Board of Directors held a meeting where several topics were discussed. There, Ignacio Villarroel, the club’s 2nd vice president and River’s representative at the Argentine Football Association, clarified what happened at the Puerto Madero offices.

“You are misinformed. It wasn’t even a meeting of the AFA Executive Committee. The decision regarding that championship, which is a prerogative solely of the AFA Executive Committee, is incorrect because it was a meeting of the Professional League, which is a body within the AFA, but it is not the Executive Committee,” the official began to clarify.

Villarroel emphasized that “the formality of the meeting did not have the rigidity that the AFA Executive Committee meetings usually have, where there is an agenda,” and that “it was an informational meeting about how the 2026 calendar was being planned.”

“At the end of the meeting, without putting it up for consideration, it was mentioned or reported to the table where the presidents and vice presidents of the clubs were sitting that Rosario Central would be recognized for having led the annual points table. After that, without any kind of expression of will, consent, or vote, it turned into what became the awarding of the cup to Central,” the vice president assured.

In this way, River denies the AFA’s announcement, which claimed that the decision to crown the Canalla was the result of a unanimous resolution by the Executive Committee of the LPF. Villarroel was present at the AFA offices the day Ángel Di María and company received the trophy.

River echoed Estudiantes’ version

Villarroel’s statement is in line with the communiqué issued by Estudiantes de La Plata minutes after Rosario Central’s consecration, where it was reported that “no vote was held regarding the recognition of the 2025 League Champion title.”

Up to that point, El Pincha had been the only club to officially speak out against awarding the title to Ariel Holan’s team. In fact, their players turned their backs when forming the guard of honor for the champion at the Gigante de Arroyito.

River does not rule out claiming the 2021 and 2023 titles

At the River Board of Directors meeting, Stéfano Di Carlo also spoke about the possibility of claiming two stars for having led the annual table in 2021 and 2023. “It’s a matter under evaluation and we will report on it at the appropriate time,” assured the club’s new president.

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