Argentine justice conducted 35 simultaneous raids on the AFA headquarters, its Ezeiza training ground, and 17 football clubs over alleged ties to Sur Finanzas, linked to president Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia. The operations, ordered by Judge Luis Armella, aim to seize documents probing potential money laundering via contracts and loans. Prosecutor Cecilia Incardona leads the investigation into the firm's owner, Ariel Vallejos.
On Tuesday, December 9, 2025, Argentine federal justice carried out 35 operations in the Sur Finanzas case, focusing on ties between the financial firm and the Argentine Football Association (AFA). The raids, led by Judge Luis Armella in Comodoro Py, targeted the AFA's central headquarters in Buenos Aires, its Ezeiza training ground, and 17 clubs from various leagues, including Racing, Independiente, San Lorenzo, Banfield, Platense, Barracas Central, Argentinos Juniors, Morón, Excursionistas, Deportivo Armenio, Los Andes, and Acassuso.
Federal Police seized accounting and administrative documents, as well as electronic equipment from the venues. In San Lorenzo, officials confirmed only information was taken, excluding cell phones or safe contents. The procedures lasted over 15 hours and zeroed in on commercial agreements: some clubs featured Sur Finanzas as main sponsor on jerseys, while others allegedly received loans repaid through TV rights or marketing contracts.
Prosecutor Cecilia Incardona requested lifting fiscal and banking secrecy on the clubs to detect potential money laundering. Ariel Vallejos, Sur Finanzas owner, is the main suspect and handed over his phone to the prosecutor's office the previous week. An ARCA report details possible front men for Tapia and Pablo Toviggino via Real Central SRL, exposing incomes and asset movements.
Club Atlético Excursionistas issued a statement clarifying their link was solely a sponsorship deal to support sports activities, with no corporate or financial ties, and offered full cooperation to justice. The Liga Profesional detailed its contract with Sur Finanzas in an official release. The case, predating the ARCA-driven probe, is based in the Federal Court of Lomas de Zamora under Federico Villena, with a pending jurisdiction conflict in the Federal Chamber of La Plata.
These events reveal direct links, such as in Banfield, where a trust and related companies connect to Sur Finanzas for alleged illicit fund placement.
