Newell’s Old Boys 1 Argentinos Juniors 0
The football has livened up. At least goals are being scored. But there’s still a big black cloud hanging over the Argentine game, a sense that the whole structure is rotten to the core, that something stinks worse than a fetid barrel of old metaphors mixed with last season’s un-washed jock-straps.
As is usually the case, money, or the dearth of it, is the cause. A report in La Nacion newspaper last week claimed that nearly all of Argentina’s football clubs are heavily in debt and that most of that money – US$124million – is owed to the Argentine Football Association or AFA.
That creates a dependence. “Maybe I’m to blame,” admitted the long-time AFA president, Julio Grondona. “Maybe I, I mean AFA, have been too kindhearted…in giving them the opportunity to spend more.”
Don Julio, as he is known, was last year unanimously re-elected by the clubs to continue as their leader. He’s held the post pretty much since the days when fans threw their caps in the air to celebrate a goal and referees wore breeches and sported a pocket watch on a chain and were known as Mr Perkins.
Argentine clubs...waiting for scraps
Who would dare speak out against one so generous who so obviously has the best interests of Argentine football at heart? He’s everyone’s friend….including corrupt former presidents, murderous military leaders and dodgy businessmen. That’s what makes him so cuddly.
The only money propping up the Argentine game is the US$200million or so the government pays each year to broadcast football for free on state-run television.
Ticket sales don’t amount to much. Too many tickets are given to the barrabrava fans to finance their own nefarious activities.
It used to be that clubs sold a player or two every year to European clubs. But a combination of economic problems on the Old Continent and a shortage of young Argentine footballing talent means that source has run drier than the polish in Arsenal’s trophy cabinet room. Not a single Argentine player was sold during the latest close season.
Half-hearted attempts to put their house in order have been implemented but only because outside pressure made them do it.
The Argentine government last week introduced new measures to deal with corruption.
The Argentine Football Association and every club in the top two divisions must now file annual reports on all their staff that make at least US13,800 a year.
The new rules apply to players, owners, league officials, corporate sponsors, government officials and any body that does business with the clubs. As well as salaries, it applies to bonuses, prizes and gifts.
AFA HQ
Those who break the new regulations will be fined up to US$23, 000 or ten times the amount involved in the illegal transaction.
The government told AFA that they’d only keep paying the TV money if they agreed to the new regulations. The government in turn has come under pressure from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) – an international body that develops government policies to fight money laundering.
A failure to respond would have meant Argentina being penalised by being added to the FATF’s list of countries where financial transactions carry a high risk of criminal activity.
That’s all well and good and very commendable. But those who have a habit of fiddling their taxes, not declaring income and filching their undeserved share of every major transaction are not likely to come clean simply because some foreign organisation with impressive initials tells them to. The long decline, I fear, will continue.
Meanwhile, back on the pitch Argentinos Juniors’ lack of ambition in front of goal proved costly. You don’t need to be a mix of Alex Ferguson and Pep Guardiola to know that unless you aim the ball at the goal every now and then you have no chance of landing it in the back of the net.
The Bichos, as they were last season, were effective where it doesn’t count – in midfield and defence. They probably even played some decent balls to one another in the changing rooms. But they kind of give up in front of goal. Two games, no goals and just the one point.
Newell’s, with new manager, Gerardo Martino, won their first game in sixteen with just the single goal twenty minutes into the second half.
Newell’s are a big club languishing in the nether regions. Others in the same sticky predicament are Independiente who lost 1-0 to Lanus, the brightest starters to this campaign with two wins from two.
Racing succumbed to the same score at modest Godoy Cruz while San Lorenzo and Estudiantes shared the spoils, one apiece. The champions, Boca, stumbled to a dull 0-0 at Union while Arsenal and Atletico de Rafaela drew 2-2.
There were goals a-plenty at Olimpo who beat Belgrano 4-1 and at lowly, pathetic Banfield who lost 4-0 to Velez. Oh! And I nearly forgot…All Boys beat Colon 2-0. While in the Monday night game Tigre, lurking in the relegation zone, had a welcome 3-1 win over San Martin de San Juan.
Tags: AFA, Argentine Football Associatio, FATF, julio grondona, newell's old boys
