Pedro Troglio, current manager of Banfield in Argentina and a widely recognized figure in Argentine football, publicly denounced being the victim of an alleged multi-million dollar real estate scam in the city of La Plata, in a case where he risked up to $157,000. The case, as the coach himself explained, involves approximately 160 investors and affected both individuals and people connected to the sport, many of whom suffered significant financial losses.

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Troglio addressed the situation in a television interview, focusing not only on his personal experience but also on the consequences the episode had for other victims. “There are people who lost their life savings,” he told local channel America TV, in statements reported by Infobae, highlighting the difference between their situation and that of those who lack the financial resources to cope with such a blow.

From professional football to a failed investment

Beyond the off-field incident, Troglio is a figure with a long and distinguished career in South American football. As a player, he was a youth world champion with Argentina in 1986 and was part of the senior national team squad that competed in the 1990 World Cup in Italy. In his professional career, he wore the jerseys of historic clubs such as River Plate, Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata, Independiente, and Argentinos Juniors, among others. As a coach, I have developed a broad and diverse career. In Argentina, he managed clubs such as Gimnasia, San Lorenzo, Independiente, Banfield, Tigre, Argentinos Juniors, Godoy Cruz, and Instituto. He also had significant stints abroad, with two periods managing Olimpia in Honduras, in addition to experiences at Cerro Porteno in Paraguay and Universitario de Deportes in Peru. This international career even led him to make investments while working outside the country. According to him, his involvement with the real estate project occurred informally, through acquaintances, which fostered an initial atmosphere of trust. The proposal involved buying apartments under construction, with the added attraction of monthly rent. “They invite you to a gathering of friends, and in the middle of a barbecue, they tell you they're building apartments off-plan.They're snake charmers, and you end up going along with it," Troglio explained, describing how he decided to get involved. As the months went by, the situation began to show warning signs. Construction stalled, the promised payments stopped arriving, and uncertainty spread among the investors. "We noticed three or four months ago that nobody was working on the buildings. In October, they stopped paying rent, and that's when we realized they couldn't continue,” the coach said. Troglio emphasized that, while the impact was significant in his case, what worries him most is the damage suffered by others. “I have enough to live on, but there are people who put everything they had into an apartment and now they have no money left,” he said.