Just a few hours before Leo Messi's farewell match with Argentina, a major controversy erupts around the national team and, in particular, the controversial management of friendly matches. During this break, the "Albiceleste" has played against Bolivia, Burkina Faso and will host Benin in the match where "The Flea" will bid farewell to his national team: a series of rather curious matches, especially for the choice to turn to African federations of medium-low level as opponents even at such a sensitive moment for fans and players.
It is no coincidence, but it is all part of a strategy aimed at maximizing revenue on the part of the AFA led by Claudio Tapia. Even before the World Cup, the choice of opponents for the friendlies had fallen on several non-first-tier African teams and all of them had denounced inappropriate treatment by Argentina, which would not have shared the income collected from the tickets and would not have paid the bonuses foreseen for the footballers, turning the entire system of friendlies into a farce.
Why Argentina always faces African teams
Before the World Cup, it was Mauritania's turn, while in the October break, Burkina Faso and soon Benin. They are not irresistible opponents for a national team that was very close to winning a second consecutive World Cup, and on the field, the results are predictable: the matches do not entertain the fans and are little more than an open-door training session, but for the federation, all this is secondary. Argentina would choose low-level opponents in order to organize low-cost friendlies against opponents who enjoy playing a prestigious match against Messi and his friends.
The issue arose after the 7-0 victory at the Monumental against Burkina Faso. A selection of U23s took to the field, because the first national team had never left the country after the African Cup qualifiers. Officially, there is talk of a problem with their plane, but according to Relevo, there would be a clash regarding the commissions and bonuses that should have been distributed to the federations and the first team players who did not travel, so to avoid a sanction from FIFA, the youth team was sent. An absurdity that is constantly repeated and that will also accompany Messi's farewell.
Low-cost friendly plan
The same scenario was repeated last March against Mauritania. The African Confederation did not receive any bonuses, but only a fixed amount for the stay and travel, which was only partially reimbursed by Argentina. The bonuses that the players receive in the meantime were not even discussed and, in return, the national team only received the pleasure of playing against the reigning World Champions. Benin has also denounced a similar situation for the match on October 6 at the Monumental, which will become the great celebration for Messi's farewell from the national team.
The players arrived in Argentina on a 25-hour commercial flight with several stops: some of them felt unwell, one staff member fainted and all complained of treatment that was at least insulting. They were booked into a hotel that had no hot water on one floor, no sauna, a gym with two treadmills and two stationary bikes and synthetic turf pitches where they could train. With the European national teams engaged in the Nations League, the Argentine federation pushed ahead with its extremely low-cost plan, which was made public after complaints from players from African federations.
