Financial mismanagement doubts hover over Argentinean FA

The main candidate seeking to preside over the Argentinean Football Association (AFA) starting next year, Marcelo Tinelli, has admitted that the body's management of funds needed to be "clarified".

After succeeding in becoming a candidate for the AFA presidency, the popular television presenter called a press conference on Thursday to announce that a major audit of the AFA was necessary, Xinhua reported.

"We want to work to clarify all the numbers. There will be an audit, even if this sounds serious to some," he explained.

Tinelli, 55 and vice-president of the San Lorenzo de Almagro football club, explained that he wanted to review "all the contracts" and "optimize" all of AFA's income.

According to Tinelli, the AFA issued around a thousand checks in the month of June alone but it was unclear who they were addressed to. He also asked for more attention to be paid to the contract for the "Football for All" programme.

The AFA, who receives important sums every year from the Argentinean government for the broadcasting rights of football games, is already being investigated by authorities, who have ordered a judicial inquiry into the body.

Tinelli is the main candidate to succeed Luis Segura as president of AFA. Segura took over from Julio Humberto Grondona, who ran the AFA from 1979 until his death in July 2014.

The elections were initially set for October 2015, but have been postponed until March 1, 2016.