Following Monday's mass resignations that plunged San Lorenzo de Almagro into a leadership vacuum, president Marcelo Moretti has been judicially processed for fraudulent administration in a corruption case involving a $25,000 bribe to sign a youth player, prompting an assembly for new elections.
The institutional crisis at San Lorenzo de Almagro intensified with Judge Laura Bruniard processing club president Marcelo Moretti for fraudulent administration, at the request of prosecutor Mónica Cuñarro. The case centers on an alleged $25,000 bribe linked to signing a youth player for the club's lower divisions. Moretti, who remains free, now faces an embargo of 38 million pesos and a ban on leaving the country.
The investigation originated from a complaint by opposition leader and lawyer César Francis, bolstered by an AFA report confirming the signing. The player's mother testified that the payment was a 'joke' and sought to exonerate Moretti, but the judge ruled that he breached his duties by prioritizing personal gain, misappropriating club resources.
Jurisdictional disputes marked the probe: Prosecutor Maximiliano Vence initially pursued it in federal court based on hidden camera footage from a TV show, but the Seventh Chamber of the National Appeals Court reassigned it to Bruniard's court. Moretti declined to testify via Zoom on November 25.
This judicial action follows the resignation of 14 board members on December 16—which created the leadership vacuum under club statutes—and Moretti's subsequent displacement. The Presidency of the Assembly of Representatives has called an extraordinary meeting for a new election summons. Moretti's defense, led by Gastón Marano, is appealing, alleging political pressures and unresolved jurisdiction.
The turmoil exacerbates San Lorenzo's challenges in signing contracts and managing payments.
