Argentine Football Chief Denounces 'Miserable Campaign' Against National Team

Claudio ‘Chiqui’ Tapia, president of the Argentine Football Association (AFA), has denounced what he calls a "miserable campaign" orchestrated to tarnish the reputation of the Argentine national team. His strong statement follows the team's 1-0 defeat to Spain in the 2026 World Cup final, which occurred just one month prior.

In a statement shared on social media, Tapia addressed the conspiracy theories and speculative narratives that emerged after the July 19th match. These theories suggested that Argentine players had deliberately lost the final match to evade potential sanctions. The purported reason for this evasion was linked to a stance on the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands, displayed on a flag.

"A month has passed. A month since that final. A month of lies, of operations, and of a miserable campaign to install the idea that this team gave up," Tapia wrote. He asserted that while the squad was giving "everything on the field," a maneuver was orchestrated from the outside to "sow hatred, divide, dirty, and destroy the image of a team that has earned the respect of millions."

Without naming specific individuals or entities, the AFA president expressed regret that those responsible had not offered apologies after casting suspicion on the players' integrity. "You don't come back from calling the national team players traitors," he emphasized in his message. Tapia believes that simply remaining silent or pretending these accusations were never made is insufficient.

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De tratar de traidores a los jugadores de la selección no se vuelve.