In Cusco, where Cienciano’s continental campaigns carry a particular weight, the aftermath of a Copa Sudamericana exit briefly widened into a serious accusation before closing with a public retraction. The Peruvian side were eliminated by Montevideo City Torque in the quarter-finals on Thursday 17 September, and midfielder Santiago Arias initially alleged that members of the Uruguayan club had attempted to influence the match through payments.
Arias, a Uruguayan who joined Cienciano in January 2025 after his time at Alianza Atlético Sullana, said following the defeat that Montevideo City Torque’s president had offered money to Cienciano players to seek dismissals. He also suggested that he could provide details of the amount involved.
“Their president is offering money for our players to get sent off,” Arias said in remarks made after the match. He described the allegation as grave, adding that neither he nor his team-mates would accept such an approach: “Passion cannot be bought. My colleagues and I rejected it completely.”
A public withdrawal after the quarter-final
Over the weekend, however, Arias reversed his position in a video posted on social media. Reading from a statement, he said his previous assertion had no evidential basis and did not reflect what had actually happened.
He acknowledged that the claim lacked “support and factual foundation”, said it should neither have been made nor shared publicly, and formally withdrew every version of the allegation, whether expressed orally, in writing, through the media or on social platforms. That withdrawal covered the supposed call and offer involving Montevideo City Torque.
The player also addressed the damage his comments could have caused beyond the pitch, offering an apology to the Montevideo City Torque director, the club’s officials, first-team squad and anyone affected by the episode.
“I want to offer my most sincere apologies,” Arias said, citing the possible moral, institutional and reputational harm created by his earlier words. What began as an allegation of corruption around a South American knockout tie has therefore ended, at least from Arias’s side, with an unequivocal retraction.
