Argentina send unexpected counteroffer to Spain for Finalissima venue following Madrid’s proposal
The Finalissima has been at the center of the global soccer stage for days, ever since the conflicts in the Middle East seriously called into question the viability of hosting the match in Qatar, as was originally planned. In this context, Spain and Argentina have different ideas regarding the new venue to be selected.
Details have recently emerged about the idea that UEFA and Spain proposed during meetings aimed at reaching a solution. Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, home of Real Madrid, is the venue preferred by the Europeans, but Argentina and CONMEBOL reportedly rejected that option because it would not be a neutral venue.
In this scenario, the president of the Argentine Football Association spoke about the issue during an interview with the media on Thursday in Buenos Aires. “We’re going to get to work because Spain want the Finalissima to be played in Spain, and I want it to be played at the Monumental,” said Claudio Tapia.
The Monumental is the stadium of River Plate, one of Argentina’s most important clubs. Located in Buenos Aires, it is usually the home of the national team—most of their World Cup qualifier matches were played there—and it has a capacity of 85,000 spectators.
Is Buenos Aires a possible venue for the Finalissima?
Since the chance of playing in Qatar began to be questioned, there has been much speculation about potential alternatives to host the Finalissima. Aside from Miami, most rumors pointed to European cities. Madrid progressed the most in those negotiations, but other cities such as Paris, Rome, and London were also mentioned.
Until Thursday, when Claudio Tapia brought it up, Buenos Aires had not been considered among the options. This would involve a complete logistical change for the match, considering that almost all players from Spain and Argentina play in Europe and would need to organize a long trip to South America for the game.
At the same time, this would require finding alternatives for the second friendly that both national teams will play during the March international break. These logistical challenges suggest that Tapia’s comments may not express a genuine desire but rather serve as a method to apply pressure in negotiations and definitively rule out the idea of playing the Finalissima in Madrid.
Argentina’s current priority
Amid speculation and proposals regarding the venue for facing Spain, the Argentine staff’s priority was revealed by Pablo Aimar, an icon of the national team and assistant to head coach Lionel Scaloni.
“We still don’t know,” Aimar admitted regarding the location of the Finalissima, during a recent interview with Cadena 3. However, the former Valencia midfielder made clear Argentina’s main concern at the moment: “Wherever it is safe. We want to play it, as long as it can happen.”