Claudio Tapia has spoken out one month after the Argentina national team’s World Cup final.
The AFA president commented on the people who accused Argentina national team players of being traitors. Claudio Tapia released the following statement:
“One month has passed. One month since that final.One month of lies, of plots, and of a miserable campaign to push the idea that this National Team had thrown the game.And the most striking thing is that, after a month, none of them apologized.None came out to say: ‘We were wrong’.
“None had the honesty, the dignity, or simply the balls to own up to it. Because making a mistake can happen. What can’t happen is lying, spinning a story, feeding a suspicion for days, and then, when time proves it was all smoke and mirrors, hiding away and pretending nothing ever happened.
“While our players were giving everything on the field, some outside were doing exactly the opposite:sowing hate, dividing, dirtying, and trying to destroy the image of a National Team that earned the respect of millions. To all of them: own up to it.
“Staying quiet isn’t enough. Waiting for time to pass isn’t enough. Changing the subject and acting like they never said anything isn’t enough. And even if they now want to dodge the comments, the demands, or the backlash from people over all the lies they told, they won’t be able to erase what they did. Because words have consequences and accusations leave marks. You don’t come back from calling the National Team players traitors.
“You don’t come back from putting those who defended this jersey under suspicion. You don’t come back from accusing them of throwing the game. And even less do you come back from doing it without a shred of proof, only to choose silence later when the lie is laid bare.
“They demanded explanations when they didn’t have a single piece of evidence. They pointed fingers at players who were laying their lives on the line. They fed a lie and turned it into truth. Now it’s your turn to explain.
“Because greatness also lies in owning up to a mistake. And when you accuse, lie, and publicly hurt those who gave everything for this jersey, asking for forgiveness isn’t a favor. It’s an obligation.
“And there’s something else: how do you go back home after doing all this? How do you look your kids in the eye and talk to them about honesty, respect, dignity? How do you teach them that there are values worth defending, if when you had the chance to stand up for them, you chose to lie, point fingers, and hide? Values aren’t negotiable.
“A month has passed and we still haven’t heard an apology. Meanwhile, the players, the coaching staff, and all the collaborators keep their heads held high. Because they know what they did that day. They know how much they left on that field. And they know that, when the final whistle blew, they didn’t owe anyone a thing.
“Those who left their souls out there have nothing to explain. Those who lied do.”
It makes sense in this statement that Tapia is defending the players. But he seems to be arguing from the misconception that the players were being accused of throwing the game because they wanted to. If there is anything to the conspiracy that the players threw the final, I think everyone agrees that they were forced to do it. Possibly with some kind of threat that the national team would be banned from future world cups. And I think almost everyone thinks that the allegations of money laundering against Tapia are true.
I guess I’m saying that most people are mad at Tapia and blame him for the possibility that the team threw the final, not the players. But maybe I’m wrong. Do you guys blame the players?