Segura sidelined as FIFA takes over running of Argentinian FA

Luis Segura

June 27 – As if losing to Chile on penalties in the final of Copa America for the second successive time wasn’t painful enough Argentina are embroiled in an escalating crisis off the field with FIFA saying they have taken control of the national federation and will help pick an emergency panel to manage its affairs.

FIFA announced the decision 24 hours after Argentina FA president Luis Segura – a member of FIFA’s ruling council – was charged last week with fraud relating to domestic broadcasting rights in Argentina. Segura has not been indicted on any charges in the US investigation into football corruption.

Led by Julio Grondona since the 1970s, the federation has been embroiled in a governance crisis ever since the late FIFA senior vice president died in 2014. FIFA says a “normalisation committee” of up to seven members will temporarily be placed “in charge of running the daily affairs of the AFA, revising the AFA statutes in order to bring them in line with the current FIFA standard statutes, and organising elections accordingly by June 30, 2017, at the latest.”

The statement said the decision to appoint a normalisation committee came after a joint FIFA and CONMEBOL mission visited Argentina earlier this month.  In the meantime, reports say Damián Dupiellet, head of FIFA’s beach football committee, will act as interim president.

The ousted Segura has slammed FIFA’ s action, decrying the timing, a couple of days before the Copa America final which he was forced to miss, as an “unforgivable mistake.”

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