The AFA is employing a "carousel" strategy in court to delay lawsuits while closely monitoring the progress of a US investigation.

A judicial source involved in legal proceedings related to the Argentine Football Association stated: "They will not stop raising jurisdictional objections; this is the 'carousel' plan." Indeed, the AFA's legal team, led by Claudio 'Chiqui' Tapia, has submitted numerous appeals in recent months and successfully prevented almost all cases from advancing. The Villa Pilar case exemplifies these tactics: just when progress seemed assured, the Court of Cassation gave the AFA fresh hope by scheduling a hearing for Wednesday to once again address the jurisdictional question. No final ruling will be issued that day, but resolution won't be delayed much longer. When contacted by La Nación, court insiders said: "There will be a result by the end of this week or early next week." This is just one battle; identical delaying tactics have been deployed in other cases.

The Villa Pilar case, valued at approximately $20 million by official appraisal bodies, is nominally owned by Luciano Pantano and his mother Ana Conte, who are allegedly fronts for treasurer Pablo Toviggino. The case has passed through four judges: Daniel Rafecas, Marcelo Aginsky, Adrian González Charvay, and now Verónica Straccia of the Criminal Economic Court.

During the case's recess, Judge Straccia assigned it to prosecutor Claudio Navas Rial, who previously pushed for the tax evasion case against Tapia and Toviggino. This week, the prosecutor quietly advanced some evidence-gathering measures that had stalled due to the judicial transition. Although the Criminal Economic Court had requested "urgent" handling, the process moved slower than expected. None of these measures will alter the investigation's direction. A lawyer monitoring all cases explained: "They are in holding pattern mode; no one wants to take action until the Court of Cassation decides."

The court, composed of Mariano Borinsky, Diego Barroetaveña, and Alejandro Slokar, has scheduled a hearing for Wednesday (the 12th). Pantano's lawyers and prosecutor Mario Villar will submit written arguments that day. The judges then have a statutory 20-day period to rule, though a decision is expected sooner.

Why is jurisdiction being revisited? Toviggino's alleged fronts filed an appeal supported by Borinsky and Barroetaveña. The three judges must now decide whether the case remains in the Criminal Economic Court or returns to the federal judge in Campana, who has taken minimal significant measures and even annulled the contents of a USB drive containing hundreds of chats detailing the AFA's financial dealings. Two months ago, the same Court of Cassation, despite Borinsky's supporting vote, already granted decision-making authority to the Criminal Economic Court, which had criticized González Charvay's performance.

The Campana judge used the Villa case as a "sponge," absorbing other AFA-related cases. The only case it failed to absorb was one being advanced by Judge Paula Petazzi and prosecutor Silvana Russi of the Ordinary Criminal Court. This file contains all evidence obtained from the United States—over 3,000 pages—involving dozens of transfers from company TourProdEnter, authorized by Javier Faroni and his wife Erika Ghiglione.

The "carousel" of appeals continues. Another dispute within the court concerns a case initiated in Santiago del Estero. The original prosecutor, Pedro Simón, had requested the arrest of Tapia and Toviggino and the freezing of their assets, accusing them of illicit association and money laundering. This week, Judge Diego Amarante, who tried these officials, rejected González Charvay's appeal. González Charvay has not given up; this dispute will also go to the Court of Cassation. Amarante stated it is "fictitious" to claim AFA headquarters are in a tent on a vacant lot in Pilar to justify Campana's jurisdiction, when the AFA's historical headquarters are in the Federal Capital.

AFA lawyers believe domestic cases are "under control" and are focusing solely on the Miami case. This US investigation is highly confidential, particularly after a witness subpoena was leaked. The public disclosure caused "deep dissatisfaction" among prosecutors, who intended to advance the investigation discretely and had asked those contacted to maintain "extreme secrecy."

The US Department of Justice investigation aims to determine whether multiple crimes were committed within US jurisdiction, including money laundering through alleged fraudulent use of the US banking system to transfer AFA funds to third parties via allegedly irregular contracts and forged invoices.

Central to the investigation is the company founded by Faroni and his wife in the United States in August 2021. Four months later, it signed an agency contract with the AFA and has since managed over $300 million from sponsorship deals, friendly matches, and sports awards. Tapia extended this contract through December 2030.

The Argentine government denies the US investigation is influenced by local lobbying. President Javier Milei this week criticized AFA management and confirmed the Miami investigation's existence, despite AFA's repeated denials. In an interview with journalist Esteban Trebucq, he said: "I have no basis to discuss Tapia personally; I can only say that some AFA management methods I don't like." He added that the AFA president "has legal cases both domestically and abroad." This was noteworthy, as the president had previously avoided the topic publicly.

Hours later, Tapia gave an interview, complaining about "operations" during the World Cup without providing specifics. He did not address the legal cases—a stark contrast to months of silence. The situation has shifted. Since the World Cup ended, the AFA has deployed a propaganda apparatus, including social media accounts, to dispute every media report.

The government's alleged indifference to the AFA case contrasts sharply with some questionable judicial appointments. This week, prosecutor Agustín Ruviello passed the Senate Judiciary Committee's nomination. A former member of the AFA's Disciplinary Court until February, he is now nominated for Chamber D of the Civil Court, a strategic post reviewing numerous football-related decisions. Two months ago, the same Chamber D blocked the General Inspectorate of Justice from reviewing AFA accounts, claiming the institution had relocated to Pilar. Yet AFA officials only met at that location this Friday to vote on representatives for the Primera Nacional, Primera B, and Primera C leagues. With construction still ongoing, they erected a tent.

Barring unexpected developments, Ruviello will join Chamber D. Court insiders question his academic and legal qualifications for the position, and his appointment seems unusual given he was originally on a supplementary list. His primary credential is his relationship with Justice Minister Juan Bautista Mahiques. In his 5-minute, 16-second presentation to senators, the candidate promised to "exercise justice impartially and independently." Senators posed no questions.

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