BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Argentina clubs have agreed to strike from March 5-8 in protest against what they consider judicial persecution of Argentine Football Association president Claudio Tapia.
The strike announcement on Monday came after a judge summoned Tapia to testify on March 5 in a case where he is accused of misappropriating social security contributions.
The investigation stems from a complaint filed by the government’s Customs Revenue and Control Agency (ARCA).
The professional league’s executive committee resolved by unanimous decision to suspend all first division matches and other league games March 5-8 “in protest against the complaint filed by ARCA,” the AFA announced in a statement.
Last Friday, Judge Diego Amarante issued a travel ban against Tapia and summoned four other officials to appear for questioning in early March as part of an investigation into the non-payment of social security contributions totaling 19 billion pesos ($13 million) in 2024 and 2025.
The other officials summoned to testify in the same case were AFA treasurer Pablo Toviggino, general secretary Cristian Malaspina, general director Gustavo Lorenzo, and former Racing Club president Víctor Blanco, who held a position at the organization during the period under investigation.
According to the tax authority’s complaint, the AFA allegedly failed to deposit the withheld amounts within 30 calendar days of the due date, which led to the issuance and notification of the corresponding debt notices by the tax collection agency. The AFA denied the debt and stated in a press release on Monday that “the voluntary payment of these tax obligations was made prior to their due date.”
Shortly before the announcement of the strike, Judge Amarante authorized Tapia to travel to Colombia and Brazil between Feb. 23-28 to attend official activities.
Tapia was invited by the Colombian Football Federation to participate in an official event in Barranquilla on Tuesday, and was scheduled to attend a CONMEBOL council meeting, of which he is the second vice president, on Thursday in Rio de Janeiro.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.
We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.
A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means you’re helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
Only subscribers can view and post comments on articles.
Already a subscriber? Login Here
Poetry Without Borders 2026 is an annual poetry contest for youth of all ages. It is being j… Read morePoetry Without Borders 2026
With playing described as “stylish and full of fire,” Ensemble Mirable has captivated listen… Read moreEnsemble Mirable: Baroque Masterpieces on period instruments
“Powerful, moving, and exhilarating” Read moreSongs For A New World
Exclusive film screening in San Mateo Read moreA LITTLE FELLOW: THE LEGACY OF A.P.GIANNINI
Dirk van Ulden said:
nicholasdobbs said:
Good riddance!
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
Sorry, an error occurred.
Already Subscribed!
Cancel anytime
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.
No promotional rates found.
Secure & Encrypted
Thank you.
Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
| Rate: | |
| Begins: | |
| Transaction ID: |
A receipt was sent to your email.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.