BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Argentina’s most famous soccer teams continue to shop for players despite massive debts that have put the start of the season on hold in a nation devoted to the sport.

Many of Argentina’s biggest clubs — Boca Juniors, Independiente, Racing Club, San Lorenzo and River Plate — have recently signed new players, or have expressed interest in doing so.
That is despite estimates that Argentina’s first-division clubs have combined debts of $182 million, including back taxes, player salaries and payments owed to the Argentine Football Association. The start of the season, set for Aug. 14, was postponed indefinitely last week.
“This is incredible. It’s like a science fiction film,” said Sergio Marchi, secretary general of the players union known as Futbolistas Argentinos Agremiados.
“The clubs have a rotting corpse in the room, and they’re out shopping.”
There have been suggestions that TV rights holders should pay more, with the added income used to help defray the debts. AFA president Julio Grondona has proposed making cable TV subscribers pay an additional $3.30 a month. He said the extra income would go to the teams, but TV rights holders quickly turned down the idea.
Grondona has also asked the government to legalize Internet betting, another idea that seems to have little traction.
Meanwhile, Boca Juniors on Friday signed midfielder Ariel Rosada from Spanish club Celta Vigo for an undisclosed amount. They also signed two midfielders earlier — Gary Medel from Universidad Catolica and Federico Insua from America of Mexico.
Reports suggest Boca has a debt of $2.6 million.
Independiente paid $650,000 to San Lorenzo for goal scorer Andres Silvera. The club said it also offered $2 million for Sporting Lisbon midfielder Leandro Romagnoli.
Racing has recently spent about $4 million on player signings.
“They (clubs) shouldn’t do whatever they want,” Argentina national team coach Diego Maradona said Friday on radio station Del Plata. “If you buy players, you have to be responsible (to pay them) and not blame others.”
The global economic crisis has hurt Argentine clubs. European teams are buying fewer players from Argentina, and paying less. In the past, clubs have avoided financial meltdown by selling top players to wealthier European clubs.
On Wednesday, clubs said they turned down a proposal by TV rights holders to give the teams a short-term advance of about $10.4 million.