A major coaching-licence scandal has erupted in South American football after an investigation alleged that former stars were offered a shortcut to prestigious Argentine coaching qualifications without completing the required training.
A two-year investigation by Brazilian journalist Joanna de Assis of UOL found that former Argentina international Alejandro Mancuso, who previously worked as an assistant to Diego Maradona, allegedly offered an “urgent” route through the Asociación de Técnicos del Fútbol Argentino (ATFA) coaching system.
According to the investigation, the package cost around 100,000 Brazilian reais — approximately $20,000 — and allegedly delivered the A, B, C and PRO licences within seven to 10 days, compared with the normal training pathway, which takes around three years.
Among the prominent names linked to the documents are Thiago Silva, Luiz Gustavo, Diego Lugano, Paolo Guerrero, Roberto Carlos, Felipe Melo, Alex de Souza, Dejan Petkovic and Paulinho.
The investigation is based on dozens of audio recordings, messages and documents obtained by UOL. Mancuso allegedly presented himself as an international ATFA director and claimed that an arrangement existed to allow established former players to bypass the normal course requirements.
ATFA, however, has categorically rejected that claim. In a response to UOL, ATFA Secretary-General Salvador Pasini said Mancuso was not a member of the organisation’s leadership, held no position of authority, had no contractual relationship with the association and had no authorisation to represent ATFA. The organisation said any offers, payments or documents issued by Mancuso in its name were entirely unrelated to ATFA.
The documents themselves also reportedly contained several warning signs, including incorrect information, questionable signatures and QR codes that did not lead to valid ATFA verification pages. UOL further reported that some certificates carried the name of a former ATFA official who had already left the organisation before the documents were supposedly issued.
Several of the former players contacted by UOL acknowledged dealing with Mancuso but said they did not know the documents were allegedly invalid.
Former Brazil international Felipe Melo, for example, said he paid Mancuso but became suspicious when promised in-person training never materialised. He subsequently removed references to the qualification from his social media accounts and secured a refund in September 2025.
Diego Lugano also confirmed obtaining the licences through Mancuso, describing the arrangement as a quick course, while saying he completed the theoretical component online but never attended the required in-person stage. Roberto Carlos similarly said he received the documents but never used them because he did not complete the course. Paolo Guerrero’s name also appears in the investigation, although he has not publicly responded to the allegations as of the latest reports.
Mancuso has denied selling fake licences. In comments to UOL, he said he was never part of ATFA and described himself as someone who merely connected interested players with the relevant contacts. The case reportedly attracted the attention of Argentine authorities in 2025, when six licences connected to Lugano, Felipe Melo, Petkovic, Guerrero, Roberto Assis and Roberto Carlos were investigated. ATFA said the matter had been investigated by Argentina’s federal criminal justice system during 2025.
The scandal now raises broader questions about the transition of elite footballers into coaching — and whether sporting reputation and playing experience should ever provide a shortcut around formal professional qualifications.