"We fixed something wrong": Malaspina on new Copa qualification | OneFootball

On Wednesday night, the news broke that the format for qualifying for international cups in Argentine football will change, sparking a strong controversy. Starting in 2027, the third place in the annual standings will not secure a spot for the Copa Libertadores playoff but will go directly to the group stage of the Copa Sudamericana, while the preliminary phase of the top continental tournament will be assigned to the ninth best-placed team.

Cristian Malaspina, president of Argentinos Juniors and Secretary General of the Argentine Football Association, appeared on TyC Sports and explained the reasoning behind this decision. "It's a change for the upcoming tournament that was approved at the last Executive Committee of the League. I don't understand the fuss because everything is clear," he began.

"It's an approval that was made unanimously among all those present to apply to the next tournament, amending something we felt was wrong, that the third or fourth in the overall standings, who are the ones who accumulated the most points throughout the year, have to occupy a position that doesn't guarantee anything because if you lose the first phase, you're left without international cups," he continued later.

Later, he clarified that "the last one to qualify for a cup will actually qualify for that position, and if they pass the first phase, they go to the Sudamericana, and if they pass the second, they go to the Libertadores." In this way, they consider it "much fairer news that a team can have access to the Libertadores after passing two phases than the injustice of a team, which was one of the top scorers, losing a match or a phase and being left without international cups."

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