2024-07-07 02:51:22
The Conmebol helmsman has led South American football since 2016, whose management has been marked by controversy, power and rapprochements with FIFA and the continent’s powers.
The South American Football Confederation (Conmebol) has been in question due to various situations that have occurred during the Copa América 2024. The continental competition has given rise to repeated complaints about the state of the pitches, scandalous refereeing errors and the way the tournament was organised.
One of the most striking points is related to the way in which the Copa America final phase table was organized. This is because For the first time in the history of a tournament of this category, the qualifiers from the same group are part of the same side.when it is normal for them to position themselves in different sectors.
For this reason, theories have emerged that refer to the possibility that the tournament is “rigged” for Argentina. The above, referring to the fact that the path to the final is easier for the Albiceleste, since the other candidates for the title are on the other side of the draw: Brazil, Colombia and Uruguay.
All these criticisms fall on Conmebol and its president, the Paraguayan Alexander Dominguez. The leader has headed the confederation for more than eight years, where controversy, power and controversies with Chile have marked his administration.
Who is Alejandro Domínguez, the president of Conmebol?
Alejandro Domínguez was born in Paraguay in 1972, has studies in Economics from the University of Kansas and has a vast career in the business administration, football and communications. Regarding the latter, he was manager of the dnewspaper La Nación and directed the magazine Foco.
He is the son of Osvaldo Dominguez Dibb, former president of the Olimpia club and one of the most controversial leaders in South American football.
On November 3, 2014, he was elected president of the Paraguayan Football Association for the period 2014-2018. However, after the FIFA Gate scandal, which exposed various football leaders such as the president of the confederation, Juan Ángel Napout, the helmsman of Chilean football at that time, Sergio Jadue, among others, Domínguez assumed the presidency of Conmebol in 2016.
Throughout his tenure, the head of South American football has focused on establishing networks with two of the continent’s powerhouses: Argentina and Brazil. In fact, in recent years The quotas for clubs from these countries have increased exponentially in continental tournaments and has been very close to Claudio Chiqui Tapia, the president of the AFA.
Alejandro Domínguez also has a close friendship with the former president of Argentina, Mauricio Macri, who was key to move the Copa Libertadores final (Boca – River) to Madrid in 2018.
In addition to his closeness to the Argentine federation’s coach, he also often uses his social networks to send messages to the players of said team. For example, when he invited Messi and Di María to play and win the Copa Libertadores.
The controversies involving Alejandro Domínguez with Chile
The president of Conmebol, Alejandro Domínguez, has a controversial history with Chile. In 2019, in the context of the social outbreak, the helmsman of South American football starred in a harsh controversy with the then Minister of Sports, Cecilia Pérez, after Conmebol will take away from Santiago the organization of the only final of the Copa Libertadores to move the event to Lima, Peru.
After that, the Paraguayan leader congratulated the organization of the aforementioned country, assuring that “We achieved in 11 days what had taken us more than 11 months.”
Cecilia Pérez’s response was not long in coming and she stated bluntly: “What did he mean? That we as a government would not accept a short law that would exempt Conmebol and its sponsors from taxes? Or that we would not agree to finance a 40 million party in Castillo Hidalgo for the Conmebol managers and their sponsors?
Chile’s exclusion from the 2030 World Cup
However, that was not the only controversy he had with our country. In October 2023, FIFA announced that itthe 2030 World Cup will be held in six countries on three continents. Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay will host three matches and the rest of the tournament will be played in Spain, Portugal and Morocco.
This fact caused a great earthquake in Chilean football, since the official candidacy was composed of Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay and Chile. In fact, the headquarters of the organizing committee was on national soil and Almost $500 million was invested from the state budget to finance the organization.
When asked about Chile’s exclusion from the 2030 World Cup, Alejandro Domínguez only said: “The decision is made by FIFA,” He said after being one of the main targets after our country was left out of the organization. Later, the Conmebol Competitions Manager, Guillermo Tobias, said that the three matches that will be played in South America “It is a direct management of Alejandro Domínguez with FIFA.”
For his part, the president of the ANFP, Pablo MiladHe explained: “The exclusion criteria are questionable, but they told me the following: Montevideo by its own right, for being the first World Cup, Argentina for being the current champion and Paraguay for being the headquarters of Conmebol.”
