Tapia and Toviggino in deep trouble: an investigation revealed diversions from an AFA account in the U.S. for US$42 million to shell companies
An AFA account may have diverted funds to shell companies
porEditorial Team
Argentina
A company designated to handle the national team's international revenue collection allegedly diverted funds to firms without declared activity and to offshore vehicles
The Argentine Football Association (AFA), presided over by the disastrous Claudio "Chiqui" Tapia, is once again facing questions after an investigation published by La Nación that exposed alleged irregular maneuvers in the management of funds collected abroad.
According to the report, the U.S. company TourProdEnter LLC, designated since 2021 as the exclusive commercial agent to manage sponsorships, friendlies, and broadcasting rights of the national team, accumulated more than US$ 260 million in bank accounts in the United States over the last four years. However, only part of that money is said to have been transferred to finance official activities.
The survey detected that at least US$ 42 million is said to have ended up in companies registered in Florida, with no employees or declared commercial activity. In addition, another US$ 109.9 million was transferred to a securities agent in Uruguay, which in turn used a financial vehicle located in the British Virgin Islands, a usual enclave for offshore operations.
La AFA habría desviado US$ 42 millones
The cited documentation also points to multi-million-dollar expenses on luxury goods and services in different countries, linked (in dates and descriptions) to official activities of the national team and of AFA. In addition, although Tapia and Pablo Toviggino, his right-hand man, are not directly mentioned in the banking records, the report highlights the presence of the treasurer's wife, María Julia Del Castillo Orellana, and of a company related to the leadership core as recipients of funds.
TourProdEnter LLC is managed by Erica Gillette, partner of theater producer Javier Faroni, a personal friend of Tapia. The businessman has a political background: he was part of the board of directors of Aerolíneas Argentinas during Alberto Fernández's presidency and he was a Buenos Aires provincial deputy between 2015 and 2019 for the Frente Renovador, a political group founded and led at that time by Sergio Massa.
Faroni fue diputado bonaerense por el espacio de Massa
With the discovery of new financial movements and possible diversions, the scandal adds another chapter and reignites demands for greater transparency in the economic management of Argentine football.
