City of Buenos Aires legislator Facundo Del Gaiso has filed a complaint over match-fixing in Argentine football and introduced a bill to help prevent referees from betting.
City of Buenos Aires legislator Facundo Del Gaiso has filed a criminal complaint for “scams” and alleged match manipulation against referee Nicolás Jara. He has also denounced National Director of Refereeing Federico Beligoy and Argentine Football Association (AFA) treasurer Pablo Toviggino.
The complaint follows the AFA’s removal of Jara over suspicions of match-fixing in the third and fourth divisions of the nation’s football pyramid. Jara is accused of accepting up to $7,000 in cryptocurrency to influence match outcomes.
As mentioned above, Del Gaiso targeted not only Jara but also Beligoy and Toviggino, calling for an end to the silence surrounding such scandals in the country’s football.
“This mechanism of silence that exists between leaders, politicians, and judges on scandalous refereeing and suspicious referees, sports betting, corruption and pressure must be broken. Let’s not wait for a tragedy to happen on a field because it will be late,” Del Gaiso posted on his X account.
Del Gaiso has introduced a bill that would require Argentine soccer referees to file yearly financial declarations. The proposal urges the AFA to make referees share their financial details to help spot any illegal gains.
“The situation of refereeing is worrying. We have to investigate what the patrimonial situation of these judges is like because some cannot justify their standard of living based on the income they have from their work,” Del Gaiso said, according to Ámbito.
The bill aims to protect the integrity of Argentine football amid concerns over betting fraud. Del Gaiso warned: “Now not only a team can go backwards, but the referees and the entire football ecosystem are involved. Clubs linked to important AFA leaders are favoured, and we have to start looking at this type of situation with different eyes.”
He also raised concerns about referees’ sudden promotion to international status, suggesting further scrutiny is needed. “A lot smells rotten in the AFA; the relationship between scandalous arbitrations and betting must be investigated,” he added.
The bill would also require Argentina’s Gambling Authority to report suspicious transactions and obligate referees to submit affidavits, aiming to increase transparency and tackle corruption in the sport.
The country is grappling with rising suspicions in football, not only in lower divisions but also in the top tier. Earlier this month, authorities launched an investigation into Deportivo Riestra’s decision to include influencer Ivan “Spreen” Buhajeruk in a match, amid concerns of potential illegal betting connections.
