Overview
- The AFA Tribunal of Discipline rejected Vélez’s protest on Tuesday and confirmed Boca’s qualification to the Copa Argentina quarterfinals while imposing an economic fine equal to the value of 1,000 general-admission tickets.
- The tribunal found Boca committed an administrative breach by listing six foreign players on the official match sheet but ruled there was no improper alignment because the sixth foreign player, Ángel Romero, did not enter the match.
- Vélez has filed an internal appeal and is preparing possible legal moves including an amparo in ordinary courts and arbitration at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, with the club also asking that the scheduled Boca–Racing match on September 27 be suspended until the dispute is resolved.
- AFA sources have warned that taking the case to ordinary courts could prompt suspension or disaffiliation and that the federation may refer any judicial challenge to FIFA, a stance that raises institutional and governance tensions across Argentine football.
- The ruling invokes the 'pro-competition' and proportionality principles used in past AFA decisions and sets a precedent for treating clerical or paperwork errors with fines rather than sporting forfeits, a point that could shape how future administrative breaches are handled.