The Cabinet Chief Aníbal Fernández answered the TyC Sports television channel's president Marcelo Bombau's attacks regarding the transmission of football games. "It is a topic he should discuss with the Argentine Football Association (AFA) because we (the government) have nothing to do with the contract and there was no meeting of that sort," he said.

"There was no meeting, no offer. We look at the football situation because football is not only a passion but also an industry which generates many jobs," Fernández added.

Asked whether the government was interested in buying the contract for football games transmissions, he answered: "No. The government is interested in other points."

The Cabinet Chief explained that the government "claims the concept of ‘Football, passion for the masses'," and added that "in this country, there is a total of 4200 clubs and 200 leagues connected together, which generate shows of a very high quality, very popular, and which became a huge business."

"Those clubs are not doing well, because of this huge business side. Every day, they are closer to the abyss," he emphasized, before adding: "I have no doubt that, in a short term, all the leagues will die. Not one will be left, as the people working for them. But, paradoxically, those who exploit this business keep on gaining huge income."

"Football is dying, but instead of trying to revive it, making it strong and healthy, the businessmen behind football try to make people think the State should pay for it. This is crazy!", he said.

According to Fernández, the AFA and the TV channels have to solve this problem. The AFA needs to put things as they should be, not the State," he reiterated.

"That same way, severe sanctions should be required against clubs and partners who don't perform good fund management, punishing directly the executives," he concluded.

The AFA decided there would be no tournament until the clubs pay all their debts: salaries to players, taxes... The TyC Sports channel's president (whose channel transmits the Argentine football league) said it was all a trick and that a secret agreement had been decided between the State and the AFA to see public TV winning the rights of football TV transmissions. TV transmissions generate millions in advertisement.