Chiqui Tapia hits back at Tebas over Argentine football: “What can we expect?” | OneFootball

After Rosario Central was crowned champion based on the points accumulated throughout the entire season—a decision made in the midst of the ongoing tournament—a media war broke out between Claudio Tapia and Javier Tebas, the presidents of the Argentine Football Association and LaLiga, Spain’s First Division, respectively.

It’s no coincidence that the head of Spanish football criticized the organization of the Argentine championship. In much of the world, tournaments are held with 20 teams, four relegations based on the overall table, no averages, and no changes made along the way. And there is competitiveness. That’s what Tebas demanded from Tapia.

“I’ve always said that if I could have a second passport, it would be Argentine, and I also suffer when I see the state of football there. First of all, what I feel is sorrow. I don’t understand how a country with so much passion, so many fans, and a unique sense of belonging—unmatched anywhere else in the world—doesn’t have clubs performing at a level to become a world powerhouse,” he exclaimed at the Olé Summit.

To support his position, the 63-year-old Costa Rican elaborated: “Argentina has won the World Cup, that’s true. But those players should be competing in this country. In the Euro Cup, which is like a World Cup without Argentina and Brazil, out of 25 footballers, 22 played in our league. When you have that, it means your competition is strong. That way, you will try to generate more resources, both internal and external, and build an Argentine league where it should be. They should be among the top six or seven in the world. In my opinion, something is not being done right.” And he added: “The teams in the First Division, how the champions are decided… it makes me sad. There are so many possibilities, and something is being done wrong.”

Annoyed by the comments from the top official in Spanish football, the leader from San Luis responded forcefully, and through his X account, fired back with heavy ammunition: “Our tournament is not a league for the few: it is popular, competitive, and a developer of talent. To belittle it is to ignore our history and the contribution we make to world football. What can we expect now, if you have already criticized even the Club World Cup?” he pointed out.

“And to make it clear, there’s no need to ‘nationalize’ yourself. Argentines are born wherever they want,” Tapia exclaimed after mentioning Tebas directly, mainly so the notification would reach his mobile phone and he would see the criticism. But he didn’t stop there and ended his response with another blow: “We are the League of World Champions and we do not accept disparagement from those who should be promoting respect among institutions.” Brutal.

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