The family of former footballer and manager Nelson Acosta is facing a crisis that blends his declining health due to Alzheimer's with a legal battle over control of his estate. Silvana Acosta, the former strategist's daughter, took to social media to denounce how the lack of access to the Uruguayan's financial resources is hindering his transfer to Santiago for medical care.
According to reports from latercera.com, the situation has worsened due to freezes on the administration of Acosta's assets. The coach's daughter noted that despite having sufficient resources, they remain unreachable due to bureaucratic hurdles within banking and judicial institutions. “Dad was a hardworking, organized man his whole life. Therefore, he does not lack resources, but they are blocked by judicial, corporate, and banking bureaucracy,” Silvana Acosta explained in a video posted on X.
The legal situation is complex. On April 5, 2025, the Rancagua Court of Appeals decreed the need for care and protection for the former coach, ordering that processes in San Vicente de Tagua Tagua be expedited. However, the coach's daughter claims that, after more than a year, no progress has been made. The crisis has forced Silvana to take out personal bank loans to cover her father's care.
Dispute over custody and assets
The conflict extends beyond finances, revealing a rift among the former coach's children. While Silvana seeks to mobilize resources from abroad, her brother Damián, who lives on the family estate, maintains direct custody of Acosta. Reports indicate that the dispute also involves control over the properties and companies the former Peñarol player accumulated during his career.
Damián and Julio Acosta issued a statement to defend their management of their father's care. “We have protected his privacy, his dignity, his well-being, and his right to live through this stage with the peace and respect he has always deserved,” they stated. The brothers also criticized Silvana's public exposure, noting that such delicate situations should be handled with “facts, responsibility, and silent work, not through cameras or social media.”
Acosta's health decline became evident years ago. The 81-year-old former coach suffers from Alzheimer's, a condition that began manifesting with episodes of disorientation during his time with Deportes Iquique in 2015. Former collaborators, such as Mauricio Zenteno, recalled moments when the coach would forget training appointments or confuse player positions on the pitch.
Currently, Acosta's life is limited to a minimal routine on his property in San Vicente de Tagua Tagua. The isolation of his residence has been part of the progression of his disease, with visits becoming increasingly restricted due to his health condition and growing family tension.
