In Argentina, some would have wanted Lionel Messi, after 207 selections spread over more than 20 years, 125 goals and a world champion title, to say goodbye to Argentina against an opponent a little more prestigious than Benin on Tuesday. But this is a poor understanding of the Albiceleste's habits in terms of friendly matches over the past few years. The most recent eight were played against Angola, Mauritania, Zambia, Honduras, Iceland, Bolivia and Burkina Faso… not really the cream of world football, with no disrespect to anyone.
Arrive five hours before kick-off
Beyond the identity of the opponents, the most striking thing when we take a closer look is that these meetings give rise to some pretty crazy stories, like the latest one, Saturday against Burkina. Argentina crushed the African selection 7-0, but the latter has a good excuse for the low level displayed. Or rather, several good excuses: she showed up with her U23 team, because the usual executives, after beating the Central African Republic on Monday in Casablanca as part of the qualifications for CAN 2027, refused to travel after the cancellation “without notice, by the charterer of the plane, of the initially scheduled flight”, informed the Burkinabè Federation (FBF).
The young people were therefore sent to the front as a matter of urgency. At the end of a low-cost flight managed by Argentina, they landed in Buenos Aires barely five hours before kick-off, were thrown onto the field to make up the numbers and got back on the plane straight away, at 5 a.m. Having played this meeting will remain a huge memory for them, as Ousmane Camara tells La Nacion – whom the journalist made a point of interviewing in the mixed zone, when no one was paying attention to him or his teammates – but all of that is not very serious.
The worst is that history repeats itself with Benin. As reported by Megasport, and relayed by RMC, the African delegation endured a 23-hour flight in economy class, punctuated by discomfort from the video analyst. Upon their arrival in the Argentinian capital, the players were housed in a hotel without hot water, with an inadequate sauna, an unsuitable weight room and synthetic training fields unworthy of a professional level. To top it off, several executives including Besiktas midfielder Junior Olaitan were administratively blocked at the airport, and only joined the group at the end of the day on Sunday.
Argentina and the organization of friendly matches is definitely quite a story. A story where the weak pedigree of the chosen opponents and the conditions in which they travel to Buenos Aires, via a Colombian agency responsible for the organization, are to be linked according to the local media with the financial concerns of the Federation and the legal troubles of its president, the sulfurous Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia.
Empty crates
In summary, despite the hundreds of millions of dollars generated by the recent successes of the Albiceleste (Copa América, World Cup), the AFA's coffers are empty. Last March, Tapia was indicted for tax evasion, following a criminal complaint filed by the Argentine tax authorities, which accused the Federation and its leaders of having failed to pay taxes and social security contributions for a total loss estimated at 19 billion pesos (approximately 11.8 million euros).
That's not all. In May, the daily La Nación reported that the American justice system was investigating account movements, in Florida and Washington, linked to companies close to the AFA. Because the Federation is also the subject of an investigation for alleged acts of money laundering. Tapia was reportedly worried by the FBI this summer during the World Cup, which the Federation denies.
The link with friendly matches? We're coming there. Wrenched by these financial concerns, the AFA is cutting back on costs. According to an article from Gazzetta Dello Sport published on Saturday, seeing Mauritania and Zambia or Burkina Faso preferred to Morocco, Senegal or the Ivory Coast can be explained in a “simple” way:
“The participation bonus for these minor African teams is zero. All proceeds are donated to the AFA and its travel agency, leaving nothing for the opponents. Additionally, travel involves regular, low-cost long-haul flights – typically 12 to 13 hours round trip – with only one night's hotel stay between matches. »
This charged context will obviously be erased on Tuesday by Leo Messi's farewell. The emotion will be very strong at the Monumental stadium for the last of the other greatest player in the history of the country with Diego Maradona. But in the background, the selection seems to have other concerns to manage for its future than life without the Pulga.
