In recent days, River Plate has made headlines in Argentine football due to its institutional decision to no longer participate in AFA Executive Committee meetings. Recently, after statements from officials close to Claudio Tapia, Chiqui Tapia himself broke his silence on the matter.
The president of the Argentine Football Association was asked about the move by the Núñez club. But Tapia found a way to evade the question. “Are there more?” he responded to a journalist from El Doce when asked about River and other teams leaving the AFA Executive Committee.
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He added, “When we took office, River wasn’t on the Committee. Neither River nor San Lorenzo. There were five teams that weren’t part of it.”
Tapia’s response came during an impromptu press conference following an event in Córdoba, where the head of Argentine football announced the creation of a fresh federal tournament. This occurred amidst a protest that led to the postponement of the ninth matchday of the 2026 Apertura Tournament.
Reactions to River’s Decision
Three prominent figures commented after River announced its disengagement from the Executive Committee meetings, while reaffirming its support for the current AFA model.
Lawyer Gregorio Dalbon initially reposted a news item from El Disenso from December 2024 regarding allegations against River for irregularities in ticket sales. He later deleted the post.
Daniel Ferreiro, former AFA spokesperson and vice president of Nueva Chicago, followed with a tweet: “River seems to be following the path and legacy left by Passarella as a leader. But those who leave without being fired will not be called back.”
More recently, former Rosario Central vice president Ricardo Carloni published: “That aura of treacherous coup-mongering that River Plate carries as its own seal is almost devastating.”
River’s Statement
In light of the information that has come to light in recent hours, Club Atlético River Plate wishes to clarify to its members, fans, and the entire sports community its relationship with the Argentine Football Association.
Since 2013, River Plate has maintained a clear vision of the direction Argentine football should take. The Club has consistently promoted, among other things, the need to consolidate a professional competition with a 20-team league, accompanied by resource generation that allows for the growth of all clubs in Argentine football.
River Plate reaffirms its historical defense of the model of non-profit civil associations and, at the same time, expresses its recognition to the Argentine Football Association for defending the current contributory pension system for the activity.
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River Plate firmly believes in the harmonious functioning of institutions and the value of collegiate bodies for decision-making. However, it understands that the current functioning of the Executive Committee lacks the necessary procedural guarantees to ensure a clear and predictable decision-making process.
Our institution believes that discussions about the future of Argentine football should be conducted through clear and predictable procedures: with issues included on the agenda with due notice and subject to a vote by the corresponding members. On repeated occasions, the observed functioning has not reflected these mechanisms, resulting in less clear processes than those to which River Plate is accustomed in the operation of its own Board of Directors.
For this reason – and until the aforementioned mechanisms are corrected – the Club has decided not to participate in the meetings of the Executive Committee of the Argentine Football Association.
