Controversial court ruling in the Pavón case: Boca recovers money but loses millions due to Kirchnerist inflation

The conflict between Boca and Talleres over the failed transfer of Cristian Pavón returns to the spotlight, but with an outcome as curious as it is unfavorable for the club from La Ribera. The courts have issued a ruling in a case that had been ongoing since 2020 and, although the Xeneize's claim was recognized, the financial result ends up being a defeat, since it will recover only a minimal part of the money it advanced five years ago due to the sharp loss in value of the Argentine peso during the Kirchner era.

The dispute originated when the current management, led by Jorge Ameal and Juan Román Riquelme, revealed in an internal audit a series of irregularities inherited from Daniel Angelici's administration. Among them, an advance of 2.5 million dollars to Talleres de Córdoba as a capital gain for a future sale of Pavón that never materialized.

The complaint was filed in November 2020 against Royco Ferreri and Christian Gribaudo, vice president and general secretary of the previous board, for signing that agreement "on behalf of Boca Juniors" and causing a "blatant financial loss". Pavón, meanwhile, eventually left as a free agent and the money remained in Córdoba.

According to Olé, the recent court ruling states: "Granting the claim filed by Asociación Civil Club Atlético Boca Juniors against Club Atlético Talleres and, consequently, I order the defendant club to reimburse the plaintiff association, on the one hand, the sum of five hundred thousand dollars (U$S 500,000) and, on the other, the sum of sixty-nine million seven hundred fifty thousand pesos ($69,750,000), within a period of ten days".

The controversial point lies in the way the money must be returned, since it is in the same currency in which it was originally delivered. Since Boca did not pay the entire amount in dollars, but partly in pesos, the current reimbursement represents a significant loss. The 69 million pesos (152,119 pounds) that in 2020 were equivalent to 2 million dollars now represent just 50,000 dollars, that is, a loss of more than 97% of the original value due to the devaluation of recent years.

"It is appropriate to order the reimbursement of both amounts in the same composition in which they were paid", the ruling clarifies.

Although interest will be applied (8% annually for the amount in pesos and 6% for the amount in dollars), Boca's actual loss is almost total. For this reason, the club from La Ribera is considering filing an appeal in an attempt to reverse a decision that, although favorable on paper, leaves a clearly bitter taste.