Club Atlético River Plate formally proposed to the Argentine Football Association's Executive Committee on Tuesday a gradual reduction of teams in the Primera División to 24 by the 2031 season. The six-point document, crafted by club official Stefano Di Carlo, aims to reshape Argentine football to align with European and Brazilian league structures, arguing that the current 30-team tournament harms competitive quality.
Club vice-president Ignacio Villarroel and general secretary Agustín Forchieri delivered the presentation. The plan proposes starting implementation from the 2028 season with a progressive decrease in participants. Di Carlo has been explicit about the reasoning. "Argentina is not in a good moment," the official said. "The competition is not the best, the 30-team tournament affects the competition and that is a position River has held for years."
Proposal details
Beyond cutting the number of teams, River's initiative includes reordering the calendar and the transfer window. It also seeks to establish clear institutional procedures and guarantee access to information for clubs. A central point is a reform of refereeing, proposing a redefinition of roles, the creation of objective criteria for appointments, and performance evaluation, all overseen by an independent audit committee.
On the economic front, the document advocates for maintaining solid income distribution among clubs while rethinking how the AFA generates its revenue. Reformulating national and international TV rights models is highlighted as a key piece for increasing local football's income.
Reactions and context
The proposal has not been met with universal approval. Matías Mariotto, president of Banfield, publicly expressed his disagreement. "When you leak things beforehand it's more of a show for the stands than anything else," Mariotto stated. "It's important for River to return, Stefano is a young director with a lot to contribute, but when River tries to set the agenda for the AFA the roles get a bit confused."
This institutional debate unfolds as River Plate tries to focus on its on-pitch performance. The team currently sits eighth in the Liga Profesional Argentina with 13 points from 10 games, having recorded 4 wins, 1 draw, and 5 losses. Their last outing was a 1-2 defeat to Huracán on September 19, a result that left them five points behind leaders Argentinos Juniors. Their recent form, however, shows three wins, one draw, and just one loss in the last five matches.
The squad now prepares for its next challenge, a visit to Sarmiento de Junín on October 4, a rival sitting just above them in seventh place. The submission of this document marks a new chapter in River's long-standing disagreement with the current Argentine football format, a debate set to continue in the coming weeks as the AFA considers the proposal.
