Only in Argentina - fabricated trophy awarded mid-season to Rosario and Di Maria

Crazy, even crazier, football in Argentina! And we’re not talking about the stands of the Bombonera, Monumental, Nuevo Gasometro, or the Elephant Cemetery… No, this is about unprecedented systemic decisions, the need for, at the very least, strange innovations, and a shocking ruling that has had the football world buzzing since last night.

The Argentine Football Association has decided mid-season to invent a trophy and award it to Rosario Central! From this season, the Argentine championship has returned to the Apertura and Clausura format (previously in place from 1991/92 to 2011/12). Both tournaments operate on a league table system, with the top eight teams after 16 rounds advancing to the playoffs. Platense won the Apertura, while Clausura is still awaiting its round of 16 matches. Yet Rosario, with returning star Angel Di Maria, has been declared the overall champion of Argentina for 2025!

You might be wondering how. Simple — that’s what the Executive Committee of the First Division decided. Yesterday, Claudio Tapia, president of the Argentine Football Association, and league executive director Francisco Duarte hosted a delegation from Rosario, including president Gonzalo Belloso and Angel Di Maria, presenting them with the “trophy established out of thin air.”

The criterion? Rosario scored the most points in the combined Apertura and Clausura table, which until yesterday served only to determine qualification for continental competitions (Libertadores and Sudamericana). Rosario accumulated 66 points, four more than Boca.

Thousands of Central fans gathered in front of the club’s headquarters yesterday. Many addressed the public and critics, while Tottenham loanee striker Alejo Veliz said: “We need you this week, as always. Let people say what they want!”

Rosario president Belloso also shared his thoughts: “This is a plan that has been in development for several years to bring back an annual champion. It is deserved for a club like ours, which led from the first to the last round, earned more points than anyone else, and lost only two matches all year. We are very happy and proud. This is something Argentine football was missing, such an annual tournament.”

The whole story might not be controversial if the competition had been introduced at the start of the year, before the season began… But boasting about a trophy that appeared out of nowhere doesn’t feel tasteful. Perhaps this decision by Argentine football officials is meant as a tribute to Angel Di Maria, who returned to his boyhood club after 17 years and contributed to 15 goals in as many matches.

Although a smile appeared on Fideo’s face while holding the trophy, it’s clear that while Rosario technically has the most points, the title was not won on the pitch, but in the office. Di Maria still has the chance to win the Clausura through the playoffs, starting from the round of 16 against Estudiantes.