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 has been a month since the WC final. A lot has been said and written about that game. I still cannot believe that we did worse than Spain’s previous 7 opponents, even Saudi Arabia and Cabo Verde were able to create chances in 90 minutes. We weren’t. I could understand taking off Gonzalez because he only lost possession and performed terrible. The injuries to Lisandro and Romero were unfortunate and costs us two substitutions. Scaloni’s strategy in the final was however a complete failure. I could not believe that he brought Senesi in place of Alvarez. It felt like a betrayal to Messi. Who could Messi pass the ball to? An extra defender meant more pressure on defence. No one to hold back Spanish defenders. Lautaro, Lopez or Paz would have made much more sense. Spain understood that neutralizing Argentina meant neutralizing Messi. That cannot be done, but if you block all the pass lines to Messi, you get the job done. We only started playing in the last 3 minutes of extra time. Way too late, but still we had two chances to score an equalizer. That would have been incredible … and undeserved. We were outthought and outplayed by Spain. Worse, the unnecessary fouls and fights afterwards damaged our reputation around the globe. Millions of people signed a petition to ban Argentina from the next WC. It would be good if Paredes, Molina and Ayala will no longer be part of the team for their lack of sportsmanship.
Sabella made a mistake in the 2014 WC by taking off Lavezzi who kept the German RB in his own half. Scaloni made multiple mistakes in the 2026 WC. We remain forever thankful for the previous years. Will he stay? I doubt it. Why? Read on.
Between 1995 and 2008 we won multiple U20 World Cups and 2 gold medals at the Olympics. Great players came through the ranks; Sorin, Aimar, Riquelme, Cambiasso, Saviola, Messi, Di Maria, Aguero just to mention a few. In the past decade we haven’t won U20 WC’s nor gold medals. Argentine clubs have not won the Copa Libertadores for years now. I am therefore not hopeful we will reach a new WC final anytime soon.
Many here has shared the names of upcoming talents like Montoro, Echeverri, Fernandez, Aranda etc. There is no doubt that these guys have great technique and can really handle the ball very well. Most if not all Argentina clubs tend to look for aspects like technical talent and speed to strengthen their youth squads. Qualities that are just as important are the ability to see spaces and decision making to pass the ball at the right time with the right speed to a team mate. Messi was raised at Barcelona’s La Masia and became the world’s best player for 15 years. If you look at recent video’s from La Masia you see that 14 year olds already show more vision of the game than 95% of adult players. Paz is a young Argentine player showing that capability, many other aren’t. Due to international football rules, very young Argentine players cannot be bought by European clubs anymore. A new Messi – if there ever will be one – will not go to Europe before he is 18, missing years of certain types of development. Someone like Bruno Cabral (15 years old River talent, also featured in Hyundai commercial) would normally have been bought by a top club.
Argentina has been and will continue to be a football powerhouse. Other countries are catching up. It is of vital importance that club teams start to look for other qualities than just technique alone. Vision of the game and the ability to find spaces should be an integral part of the development.
Next to that Conmebol needs to find an answer to the UEFA’s nation league. Top European countries play against each other more often to raise the level of play. Maybe Conmebol and Concacaf can set up something up like an America’s league.
I am so sick and tired of conspiracy theories lies made up stories and overall nonsense.
Even if the accusations are true, we’ll never get a clear answer, that much is obvious. The World Cup is such a huge event with so much money involved. Maybe, just maybe, after decades pass and the statute of limitations runs out, someone involved with a lot of guts will speak up, like Diego did for 1990 in Italy. Tapia talking about it like this is the only way he can bring up arguments. What else should he say?
LOL Tapia trying to convince anyone that there’s no conspiracy while FIFA literally capable of REVERSING A RED CARD because the US president told them to do so!
Remember Calciopoly? Tapia must have think its just a conspiracy!
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?
T(M)AFIA will defend MAFIA.