Marcelo Moretti, president of San Lorenzo, has announced a leave of absence after footage emerged of him appearing to accept a bribe.
The news broke just a day after the death of the Argentine Primera División club’s most famous supporter – Pope Francis.
And the initial reports have now been corroborated with video footage of the exchange.
The clip from Channel 9 in Argentina proports to show Moretti accepting $25,000 in cash for the signing of youth team player Marcelo.
Responding to the story, he’s now said: “They framed me. They’ve been extorting me since last year. This is a media operation.
Turning on former managers, Marcelo Tinelli and Matías Lammens, he added: “They’re behind all this. They’re trying to tarnish my image and my name.
“I didn’t count the money because I acted in good faith. I never received a bribe; that’s not who I am.
“The video is edited because it’s a lie. There’s malice afoot to hurt Moretti. They want San Lorenzo to do badly.
“As soon as these people left, I took it to the treasury. The money I received is deposited in the treasury. It’s all recorded in the club’s records.
“I’m not thinking about resigning. I didn’t do anything wrong, nor do I owe anyone any explanations. San Lorenzo is fine. I’ve spoken with everyone.
“I’ve been investing money in the club for many years, much more than that money. In fact, I’ve had loans from San Lorenzo for many years that I’ve never collected. Yesterday, I invested $10,000 out of my own pocket.
“I’m going to file this tomorrow, I’m going to file a self-reported complaint. For influence peddling, for unfair administration. I’m going to appear before the courts to name names and tell the whole story, because obviously I have no connection or guilt in this case. I would never taint myself for the club; to me, it’s my life. My family’s name is at stake.”
He’s now added: “In order to exercise a legitimate and free defence, both in court and in the media, and to protect the institution from the events attributed to me, starting tomorrow I will take a leave of absence from my position as president of Club Atlético San Lorenzo de Almagro.”
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