As has happened so many times in recent years, Argentine football is once again changing its competition format. This was ruled by the AFA after the meeting of first division leaders this Friday, which between dissimilar positions ended up resolving a surprise change for the Argentine soccer dispute in 2025.
The most radical measure is the end of the Professional Leaguethe long round-robin tournament that was played every year and that this weekend defines the champion among Velez, Workshops y Hurricane. In its place, there will be two editions of the League Cupthe contest he won Students at the beginning of the season.
The tournaments will also present changes as they have 30 teams. The direct elimination phase now begins in the round of 16, with eight teams classified in each zone of 15. While there will be two classics in the year and also an interzonal match with a rival from the opposite zone.
«Two League Cups are going to be played. The first starts on January 26 and the final is on June 2. They are all going to play against the rivals in their area and against their classic rival. Also, an interzonal match against a rival from another zone that will be by draw. It is one of the new things. So that there are no free teams on each date.”explained Mariano Antico in TyC Sports.
«The classics are going to be one by glass, one for home and one for away. The round of 16 and quarterfinals are played on the court of the best placed team. It is the only sporting advantage, being local in those phases. Semifinal and final are played on a neutral court.added the journalist.
Riquelme’s request that did not prosper
In the previous, Juan Roman Riquelme He had asked that the League be played like now, but in the first part of the year. «Riquelme raised his hand and asked to make a change. He asked that they play the long tournament first and then the short tournament. Because Riquelme says that if a team is eliminated quickly, the technicians begin to take risks, so he said why don’t we play a long tournament first and then kill each other in the definition in the end because if it doesn’t happen like it happened to Boca now, what was eliminated…”Esteban Edul explained on ESPN.
“Let’s have trouble, if we have trouble in December, not in March or April”Riquelme said according to Edul. “But, those who organize Argentine soccer say they do not give the dates to play 14 dates, quarterfinals, semifinal, final and 29 dates, so they say let’s have two short tournaments”added the journalist.