Argentinean season put on hold

The Argentine domestic football season has been put on hold indefinitely while the national governing body seeks to ease the massive debts hanging over many of the country’s clubs.

The decision by the AFA to push back the start of the season from August 14th sparked angry protests outside the association's headquarters in Buenos Aires.

"The executive committee of the AFA resolved unanimously tonight (Tuesday) that the championships in all categories should not start on the scheduled dates," a statement posted on the AFA website (www.afa.org.ar) said.

It is estimated that the clubs collectively owe the government 300 million Argentine pesos (€54million), on top of debts to the AFA and, to a lesser extent, their own players.

The global downturn has also contributed to the financial strain, with fewer European clubs seeking to Argentinean-based players.

AFA president Julio Grondona has cited a dramatic rise in television revenue as one way of servicing the debt.

"For me the solution is for the AFA to receive more money from the revenue of the television (rights)," he Grondona, who is also world body Fifa’s senior vice-president, said after holding talks with chief tax officer, Ricardo Echegaray, and Sergio Marchi, secretary general of the players' union.

The decision led around 100 people to protest outside the AFA headquarters, where they threw stones at the building, broke windows and shouted insults at Grondona.

They painted "Julio Grondona thief" on the wall and handed out leaflets saying "Grondona, liar and traitor ... resign now" before police dispersed the demonstrators.

Some of Argentina's biggest and most successful clubs are among the major debtors, including former South American champions River Plate, Racing Club and Independiente.

The AFA has already asked for the TV companies to pay up to €130million instead of the €48.4 million originally agreed.

TV companies are believed to be considering a counter-proposal that includes a contract extension with the AFA from the present 2014 expiry date to 2020 and advance payments to clubs to cover their current debts.

Marchi said some well-run clubs, notably newly-crowned South American champions Estudiantes and Argentine Clausura title winners Velez Sarsfield, were paying for mistakes made by directors of poorly run clubs.

"I hope the AFA follows its own rules and sanctions those (directors) who don't meet their obligations," Marchi said. "The (Argentine) game is poorly commercialised, it's obsolete ... There are problems of infrastructure, the bathrooms of some clubs look like Kosovo," he said.

The participation of Argentine clubs in the Copa Sudamericana, the continent's equivalent of the Europa League which starts this week, will not be affected, nor will Diego Maradona's national team who have a friendly against Russia in Moscow next week.