😱 Tapia's curious criticism: if they own up to mistakes, we'll improve | OneFootball

The president of the Argentine Football Association (AFA), Claudio "Chiqui" Tapia, was one of the key figures at the Olé Summit at the Usina del Arte, where he directly addressed the criticisms surrounding refereeing, especially in the final stretch of the Torneo Clausura. Tapia stood firm in defending the referees, although he called for a generalized mea culpa.

The Response to So Much Criticism

The head of the AFA tried to dismantle the idea that referees are the only ones responsible for poor results. "It's not always the referee's fault when a team loses. Argentine refereeing is not that bad," he stated.

Tapia pointed to the "bad disposition" and "suggestion" in the football environment, including players, journalists, and fans. He cited the case of Barracas Central, a club accused of being favored, comparing it to the historical suspicion that fell on Arsenal during Grondona's management. "How could they be favored in so many matches?" he exemplified.

The Problem of Little Playing Time

However, Tapia acknowledged the existence of sports issues, such as the low net playing time in Argentina. "Why are we playing less and less? Why are only 43, 44 minutes played when in Europe they play 75? Why do players fall when they can continue?" he questioned.

The president concluded that the credibility of football requires a correction that goes beyond refereeing. "There needs to be a mea culpa from all parties. Are there refereeing errors? Yes, but everyone makes mistakes. If a player misses a penalty, if a coach fails in a strategy, I don't see them acknowledging it," he concluded.

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

📸 JUAN MABROMATA - AFP or licensors