ZURICH (AP) — FIFA has asked Argentina’s soccer leaders to explain reports that their league has been named after a naval ship sunk by British forces during the Falkland Islands conflict 30 years ago.
FIFA says the Argentina Football Association could face sanctions if the top-tier division “was set to be named after ‘Crucero General Belgrano.'”
FIFA wrote last Friday to the AFA, headed by FIFA senior vice president Julio Grondona. FIFA says it “reminded” Argentina of soccer’s rules prohibiting discrimination against countries for political reasons.
FIFA writes that the reported change “would clearly infringe” the rule.
More than 300 Argentine servicemen died when the General Belgrano was torpedoed by a submarine in 1982.
