Alberto Fernández once again occupied space in the public agenda. After a period marked by accusations and scandals that kept him at the center of controversy even outside of power, the former president reappeared with statements about current football events, a field in which he had rarely spoken so extensively.
In an interview for the program Cancha Embarrada on El Destape, the infamous former president fully immersed himself in the discussion that dominated the week: AFA's decision to recognize Rosario Central as the best team of the year, Estudiantes de La Plata's guard of honor Estudiantes de La Plata at the Gigante de Arroyito and the criticism of Claudio "Chiqui" Tapia.
The former head of state was emphatic in supporting the decision of the governing body of Argentine football: "I recognize Rosario Central as the team that earned the most points. A team that played very good football and has been the best in the league, with several points ahead of second and third place. The recognition of Rosario Central is an act of intellectual honesty. Matches are won on the field, by playing and collecting points, and the one who did it best was Central."
However, he surprisingly clarified that the organization of local football doesn't convince him. In that regard, he commented that the current structure seems confusing to him and questioned the logic of titles for short tournaments: "I really liked the long championships. It confuses me a lot that the Apertura champion, in the overall standings, is 14th or 15th, I don't know where Platense is. If Argentinos win the Clausura, they're 3rd, how are they champions?"
Meanwhile, Fernández also referred to the gesture by the Estudiantes squad, who turned their backs during the guard of honor before the match with Rosario Central as a sign of protest against the invented title.
For the former president, the attitude was unjustified: "I don't think that's right. They will say that a title was invented on the fly, they're right, but those who say that Rosario Central earned the most points, the best of the year, are also right. Just as recognizing it is a gesture of intellectual honesty, it doesn't deserve to be snubbed either."
Finally, when asked about the relationship between football and politics, Fernández asserted that he never used the king of sports or the national team for political interests, something that contradicts, for example, what happened after the Qatar World Cup, when the former president tried to capitalize on the Albiceleste's victory by offering the Casa Rosada balcony and attempting to present medals that never reached their destination.
