Explainer: Argentina's Complex Domestic Football Structure And Rosario Central Controversy

Argentine football has been thrown into turmoil following an abrupt rule change that saw Rosario Central crowned as the new national champions.

In the fallout, Estudiantes president Juan Sebastian Veron has been handed a six-month ban "from all football-related activities" by the Argentina Football Association (AFA).

The former Manchester United and Chelsea midfielder, along with Estudiantes players, refused to perform the guard of honour for the new champions, led by FIFA World Cup winner Angel Di Maria.

Instead, Estudiantes players turned their backs on Rosario's squad as they walked onto the pitch before their Clausura last-16 clash.

Those who "engaged in the reprehensible conduct" have also been suspended for two matches in the upcoming season.

The controversy comes at a delicate time for Argentine football. The Lionel Messi-led Albiceleste are preparing to defend the FIFA World Cup title next year, aiming to build on their triumph in Qatar 2022.

The controversies in the domestic game have cast a shadow over preparations, with questions raised about whether the AFA's governance issues could spill into the national setup.

Here, understanding the country's domestic football structure, one of the most complex in the world, is key to grasping why the current controversy erupted.

The Opening and Closing

To start with, for the 2025 campaign, the AFA under president Claudio Tapia reinstated the split-season format last used in 2012 -- Apertura (January to July) and Clausura (July to December).

With 30 teams in the top flight, Liga Profesional de Futbol (Primera Division), the league was divided into two 15-team zones for the league phase -- 16 matches per team. The top eight from each zone advanced to the knockouts.

In the first phase, teams faced others in their zone, plus two interzonal fixtures (one against a local rival from the other zone, and another determined by draw). The playoffs followed the familiar round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final format.

The season began with the common understanding that Apertura and Clausura champions would be crowned, also with the possibility of one team winning both.

Additionally, the top three teams in the aggregate table (combined Apertura and Clausura points) were to qualify for the 2026 Copa Libertadores.

Apertura 2025 Points Tables

As it turned out, Platense, who finished 6th in Zone B, won the Apertura title.

They defeated Racing 1-0, River Plate 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw, San Lorenzo 1-0, and then Huracan 1-0 in the final on June 2. Calamar, thus, became Argentine champions for the first time in their 120-year history, and qualified for the Copa Libertadores.

A six-week break followed, with Argentine giants Boca Juniors and River Plate competing in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025. The Clausura began in mid-July, with its group stage concluding on November 14.

But everything changed on November 20 when the AFA declared the "League Champion" for 2025 in a newly established title. Crucially, this rule had not been defined before the season began.

Reports suggest the decision stemmed from an October 17 AFA assembly, during which Tapia was re-elected as president and also decided to launch the new title, among many.

Rosario Central, who collected 66 points -- 35 in Apertura and 31 in Clausura, topping Zone B both times -- were retroactively declared national champions, now dubbed Campeon de Liga. Their tally was four more than Boca Juniors.

Finishing atop the annual points table (aggregate) would have only guaranteed Copa Libertadores qualification; instead, Central were retroactively declared champions, adding another star to their badge.

The club, led by president Gonzalo Belloso, defended the title as legitimate and celebrations ensued.

Angel Di Maria and his teammates collected the award at AFA headquarters just before their Clausura last-16 clash against Estudiantes, which they lost 1-0, adding further intrigue.

With the Clausura final set for December 13 and Central eliminated, another team should have been crowned Clausura champions through the playoff system. That, however, will not be the case now.

The move sparked protests and bans. Combined with officiating controversies and already ongoing political disputes in the establishment, the Argentine football landscape became even more volatile.

Meanwhile, President Javier Milei, a vocal critic of AFA's management, publicly backed Veron and Estudiantes. He even displayed the club jersey in his office.