Rosario Central blocked Independiente media, tension grows before play-offs | OneFootball

Rosario Central’s leadership argued that it cannot guarantee the safety of the visiting press, and Independiente responded with a strongly worded statement.

The buildup to this Sunday’s clash between Rosario Central and Independiente, scheduled for 3 p.m. in the round of 16 of the Apertura Tournament, became mired in controversy over off-the-field issues. Less than two days before the match, Central announced that media outlets covering Independiente would not be granted credentials to enter the Gigante de Arroyito due to “security reasons.”

The notice came amid an already heated atmosphere between the two clubs. The first chapter came after statements by Néstor Grindetti, Independiente’s president, who hinted at some concern over the performance the refereeing team might have during the match.

“Hopefully on Sunday we can talk about football and not controversial decisions,” the chairman wrote on his social media after Yael Falcón Pérez was confirmed as the main referee and Lucas Novelli on VAR. “We are watching closely to make sure no refereeing issue prevents us from winning this championship,” he later added on Radio La Red. From that point on, tensions escalated and, coincidence or not, ended up leading to Rosario Central’s decision not to approve credentials for visiting partisan journalists.

Independiente’s statement after Rosario Central’s decision

Through an official message, Independiente explained that it received a communication in which Central informed them that “they cannot guarantee the safety of Independiente-affiliated journalists” attending the stadium. For that reason, the club recommended that media outlets not travel on their own “prioritizing each person’s personal safety” and confirmed that credentials would not be approved for match coverage.

Later, the Avellaneda club published another message backing its affiliated journalists and indirectly criticizing Central’s stance. “To our affiliated journalists: you are not alone. The club supports you and is making its facilities available so that no voice of the Rojo goes unheard,” the statement shared on social media said. In this way, the press booths at Libertadores de América may be used to cover the match.

In addition, the club thanked “the directors, groups, and figures from the club’s political spectrum” who publicly expressed support for press workers in light of “Rosario Central’s inability to guarantee their safety.”

The stance of Santa Fe’s Ministry of Security

Amid the controversy, Santa Fe’s Ministry of Security took note of the situation and chose to distance itself from Central’s decision, stating that the province has the necessary tools to guarantee the safety of accredited journalists. In a statement, the agency maintained that any inconvenience “responds exclusively to organizational issues unrelated to the security operation,” thus distancing itself from the measure adopted by the Rosario club.

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