Tebas criticizes the Argentine league; AFA president: He ignores our history

A row has erupted between LaLiga and the Argentine Football Association (AFA) following a clash of statements between Javier Tebas and Claudio "Chiqui" Tapia. 

The LaLiga president took advantage of a conference held in Argentina, organized by the newspaper Olé, to "lament" the state of Argentine football and the way the institutions are managing it. This was a direct attack on the country's league and, of course, the Argentine Football Association.

"My first feeling is sadness because a country with so much passion, so many fans, and such a strong sense of belonging, doesn't have football and clubs with the performance level to become a world power at the club level," said Tebas. This highly controversial opinion has drawn criticism from the country hosting the "Olé Summit," which brings together prominent figures from the world of sports. Tebas pointed to the "lack of potential" in Argentine football. The LaLiga president went even further, stating that he feels like an adopted Argentine and suffers "because of the state" of the sport in Argentina.

As we said, these words haven't gone down well in the upper echelons of Argentine football, and it hasn't taken long for various responses to emerge. Claudio 'El Chiqui' Tapia, president of the AFA (Argentine Football Association), was quick to respond on his social media. With two posts under the hashtag 'X,' he wanted to respond sharply to the president of LaLiga, the professional football league in Spain.

“Our tournament isn't a league for the few: it's popular, competitive, and developmental. To belittle it is to ignore our history and the contribution we make to world football. What can we expect now, if you've already criticized even the Club World Cup?” Tapia asks, continuing in a related post. “We are the League of World Champions, and we don't accept insults from those who should be promoting respect between institutions. And to be clear, you don't need to 'become a citizen.' Argentinians are born wherever they want, @Tebasjavier.”

Tapia's attack on Tebas can be summarized in two sentences. The first point is that "to belittle our tournament is to ignore our history" and "we do not accept disparaging remarks from those who should be promoting respect between institutions." This public feud has tarnished the image of the LaLiga president in Argentina.