The Argentine FA's Superliga, "approved by an overwhelming majority a week ago -- with 70 votes in favor and one against -- will have to wait another year" after the statutes were not approved by FIFA, according to GOAL. This was announced by Argentine first division side Sarmiento VP Horacio Martignoni. He said, "The format generates more revenue, but in terms of play, nothing." Martignoni "also warned that it has not been resolved how the tournament starting on Aug. 19 will be carried out, as there are negotiations to leave behind the two-zone format" (GOAL, 7/21). In Buenos Aires, Andres Morando wrote "the creation of a new order in Argentine football, called the Superliga, for now has died before it was born." And it "is not known if it will see the light next year." The project had been conceived with the idea that -- "like in Spain" -- the first and second division would generate, increase and administer their own resources, "whether from TV or elsewhere" (OLÉ, 7/20).
CONTRACT RESCINDED: OLÉ reported on Monday, the AFA requested that the Argentine government rescind the Fútbol Para Todos TV contract, "in order to later call for a tender from private businesses." On Wednesday, the government responded in a statement "in which it accepted the request, but asked the AFA to keep broadcasts on free-TV for two more years." Argentine Secretary General Fernando de Andreis said, "We accepted the proposal that 95% of first and second division clubs made." Now, the AFA will be able to renegotiate the sale of TV rights to first and second division games, "knowing that U.S.-based Turner Broadcasting offered" 3.2B Argentine pesos ($210M) per year (OLÉ, 7/20).
