Andrés Fassi apologises to Tapia, Toviggino hits back on X | OneFootball

The president of Talleres, Andrés Fassi, apologized to Claudio Tapia, head of the Argentine Football Association, whom he publicly confronted in September of last year after a controversial refereeing by Andrés Merlos in the match where Boca eliminated the Cordoba team from the round of 16 of the Copa Argentina. "I was wrong," he said this Thursday in a press conference in which he was also self-critical about the current situation of the institution he leads, with the team seriously threatened by relegation. Shortly after, Pablo Toviggino, treasurer and right-hand man to Chiqui, responded with a harsh post: "Traitor and liar."

A year ago, the businessman had been highly critical of Tapia: “I gave you four different proposals to improve Argentine football… Chiqui, let’s not play, don’t play with Talleres. Mr. Beligoy (Editor’s note: Federico, national director of refereeing) expressly carries out the mandate of what you and your group of people make him do.”

After those statements and following a criminal complaint filed by Merlos, who claimed that the executive entered his locker room with bodyguards who showed firearms—something Fassi denied, revealing instead that the referee punched him—the AFA Disciplinary Tribunal suspended him for two years.

Now, the president’s view on the leadership of the Argentine football governing body has changed dramatically, as he acknowledged: “Neither the timing nor the way I expressed myself were appropriate. I was wrong. I publicly apologize to the president of the AFA, Claudio Tapia.” He added: “Chiqui, I put myself entirely at your disposal to do things for Argentine football. Before the end of the year, we’ll be inviting you to the second stage of our Sports City.”

The executive denied that this change of heart is linked to the current football situation of “la T,” which is 28th in the annual table and would today have to play a playoff with Aldosivi to see who is relegated to Primera Nacional: “Relegation wasn’t a possibility when I met with Tapia.” He added that, in that meeting, he admitted that “it had been detrimental for everyone” and took responsibility.

Soon after his press conference, Pablo Toviggino, treasurer and right-hand man to Chiqui, responded with a harsh post on social media. “What a STONE FACE you have! Surely President Tapia (the Commander) will accept your apologies, because he’s a gentleman. But you’re such a TRAITOR and LIAR that you forgot to apologize for the accusations you made against us in complicity with Mariano Cuneo Líbarona, Juliana Santillán, and Daniel Scioli, using and abusing the apparatus of the National State,” he fired.

“All together and in the open, you pushed various judicial and media measures, in a clear maneuver of institutional coup, against the democratic elections of the Honorable AFA Assembly. But since you’re also a coward, you even accused the Commander’s son. Not with the family! Anyway…,” Toviggino shot back.

In his press conference, Fassi analyzed the football crisis the club is going through, which in March had been champion of the International Supercup against River and in this Clausura has won only one match with Carlos Tevez, who took over after the unexpected resignation of Diego Cocca (who left days before the start of the tournament and without making his debut). “Talleres was champion in March and Chiqui Tapia handed over the Cup. We have to do some soul-searching ourselves, with the coaching staff, and ensure in these nine remaining matches that Talleres manages to get out of this bad moment. We have full confidence in our coaching staff led by Carlos Tevez,” he said.

Fassi pointed out that he is “the main person responsible” for the current state of “la T” and added: “I didn’t make the best sporting decisions. When you get used to being a protagonist, you can make the mistake of thinking it will always be that way, and reality shows us otherwise.”

He also committed: “I take responsibility for making a Talleres that, day by day, in every match, is a Talleres eager to be, a Talleres that wants to transcend, to be a protagonist. That’s why, today, I apologize to the fans. Because we are not being the Talleres we fought for so many years.”

On the football side, ahead of Talleres’ visit to Tigre this Sunday at 8 p.m., he concluded: “Together with the players, we have done a huge self-critique. It’s normal in football to have a sporting crisis.”

Finally, he referred to the elections that will take place in the institution on Sunday, October 19, specifying: “We’ve had 11 consecutive assemblies with order, with surplus, with investment and growth. And the elections at Talleres are a new step in institutional growth. Talleres has the largest membership roll in the history of interior football. There will be more than 36,000 members eligible to vote. Talleres belongs to all those members and that’s an achievement for everyone.”

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