Banfield’s most recent official match in the Argentine Professional League took place on May 2, where they secured a victory at home against Central Córdoba with a score of 3-1. However, this success turned out to be bittersweet, as the team was eliminated from Playoffs, alongside 13 other clubs, marking an early end to their season. This challenging scenario has contributed to a broader crisis within the club, culminating in a complete halt of activities.
Under the management of Pedro Troglio, the players have not received their salaries for three months, a situation that also affects coaches, administrative staff, and other employees within the organization. The situation came to a head on Saturday when the footballers decided to take action, with the rest of the personnel having already paused work on Friday. Banfield is now entirely immobilized, and if the situation does not improve in the coming hours, the strike will continue into Monday.
The economic difficulties of the club mirror their poor sporting performance, with Banfield currently sitting 27th in the averages table, just above Sarmiento, Aldosivi, and San Martín de San Juan. Consequently, Troglio was brought in to replace Ariel Broggi in hopes of revitalizing the team’s fortunes. Yet, the path to returning to competition remains fraught with challenges, including a transfer ban due to an unpaid fee of $165,000 for player Nicolás Sosa Sánchez, who is currently with León in Mexico.
Despite these adversities, there is hope that with effective negotiation and reinstating better financial practices, Banfield can turn its fate around both on and off the pitch. The calls for solidarity among players and staff reflect a unified front aimed at overcoming these hurdles together.