Kerala Sports Minister V Abdul Rahman has leveled serious allegations against the Argentina national football team, claiming that the team failed to fulfill its tour promise. Kerala Despite receiving a substantial amount of money.Speaking on Thursday, the minister expressed deep disappointment that extensive efforts have been made to plan a possible visit by the Argentine team, including the global icon. Lionel Messi. He revealed that many rounds of discussions were held to make this event possible.
“For this, I had several discussions. Finding sponsors to arrange the Rs 250 crore to be paid to the international football team was also not an easy task,” Abdul Rehman said.He then directly charged, “But, after receiving the money, the Argentine football team cheated us. We did not expect such a cheat from them. They did not come after the promise to do so.”The Minister further claimed that Kerala is not the only party affected. According to him, the inquiry revealed that a similar situation had taken place elsewhere.“They took money from these countries, but never went there to play. It’s a situation where the Argentine soccer team will have to be sued, and they will have to pay us,” he said.Abdul Rahman also spoke about his personal disappointment at the development, noting the enthusiasm that had been generated among fans in the state.“He has disappointed football fans in Kerala. I don’t know who I will tell my disappointment to,” he added.The visit was earlier touted as a major sporting event, with the minister saying in November that Argentina and Messi were expected to arrive in Kerala in March this year. Development now creates uncertainty over these plans.Amidst the controversy, Abdul Rahman also discussed his political move ahead of the upcoming elections. He confirmed his decision to contest from Taur assembly constituency instead of Tanwar, a seat he has won twice before. He maintained that the change was not due to electoral considerations, but a desire to represent his home region, which he said needed more development.The Kerala Assembly elections are scheduled to be held on April 9, adding a political dimension to the issue that has already sparked a backlash among football fans in the state.
