Executive Committee Meeting of the AFA: matches during the FIFA date, a new cup, the response to River, and more

The Executive Committee of the Professional Football League, led by the unpresentable president of the Argentine Football Association (AFA), Claudio "Chiqui" Tapia, met this Tuesday at the venue Lionel Messi in Ezeiza and advanced on various issues related to the closure of the 2026 season and the planning for the upcoming year. The schedule for the upcoming dates, changes in the playoffs, the possible creation of a new cup, and the document presented by River were some of the main topics discussed.

Matches during the FIFA Date

One of the central points was related to the calendar of the 2026 Clausura Tournament. The Professional League established the organizational scheme for the Date 11 and the following rounds, which must consider various commitments that will coincide with the development of the competitions.

In this regard, there will be matches during the period of the FIFA Date on Saturday, October 3, while adjustments will also need to be made due to the participation of some teams in the Argentine Cup and in the tournaments organized by CONMEBOL. The LPF reported that the modifications and rescheduling will be communicated soon.

Additionally, during the meeting, the criteria for publishing the Dates 14 and 15 were defined. In the case of Date 16, the days still need to be established definitively due to the logistics involved in the visit of Pope Leo XIV.

Changes for the 2027 playoffs

Looking ahead to the next season, the Executive Committee advanced on various regulatory aspects of the competitions. Among the decisions made is the continuation of extra time from the round of 16, a measure that will remain in place to determine knockout matches that end in a tie.

A change in the home advantage for the decisive stages was also approved: the semifinals will be played in neutral stadiums. The proposal was presented with the intention of allowing the presence of both fan bases, generating a positive economic impact for the matches, and promoting the development of games in different parts of the country.

Furthermore, the possibility of modifying the closure of the Argentine transfer market to align it with the dates currently in effect in other countries in the region was discussed. The goal is to achieve greater alignment with the calendars of CONMEBOL markets, considering that a significant portion of Argentine footballers continue their careers in South American clubs.

The new cup being analyzed

Another announcement from the meeting was the project to create a Champions Recopa, which would become a new official title in Argentine football.

The competition would have a triangular format and bring together the champions of three tournaments: Argentine Cup, Argentine Supercup, and International Supercup. The initiative is part of the proposals that the League seeks to implement within the competition structure for 2027.

Along with this, developments related to the "Argentine Football Club" program and a project aimed at centralizing the logistics of the clubs were also presented.

The response to River's proposals

River arrived at the Executive Committee with a proposal to modify several aspects of Argentine football. The document was presented by its second vice president, Ignacio Villarroel, after the club publicly disseminated its ideas the day before.

However, the Professional League responded that those reforms will be analyzed and addressed with a view to the 2028 season, as the competitions for 2027 had already been defined well in advance. Thus, the proposals from the Millonario will not alter the structure planned for the upcoming year and will be incorporated into a later discussion about the future of Argentine football.

River's proposals:

• Change the format of the competitions, with a gradual reduction of teams in the First Division, and rules that do not change while the tournament is ongoing.

• Reorganize the calendar and the transfer market window.

• Establish criteria in terms of institutional procedures and access to information.

• Rediscuss the roles of those currently leading Argentine refereeing. And, fundamentally, define objective criteria for refereeing assignments. Additionally, conduct performance evaluations and have an independent committee audit them.

• Maintain solidarity in the distribution of income among clubs. Rethink the generation of resources for the AFA. Propose different lines of action to generate more and new resources. Reformulate the model for television rights, both national and international.