Argentina only have "a 50 percent chance" of being able to field a team at next month's Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, according to Argentine Olympic Committee (COA) president Gerardo Werthein.
Argentine football has been thrown into further chaos this week by the resignation of coach Gerardo Martino, which followed captain Lionel Messi announcing that he planned to retire from international football amid continuing issues at the Argentine FA (AFA).
While the other teams competing in the 2016 Olympic football tournament have already named their full squads, Argentina have only called up nine players so far, with the competition due to get underway on Aug. 4.
Speaking on Radio Mitre, COA chief Werthein said the current situation was an "embarrassment" for the nation.
"It is unthinkable that less than a month before the games start, Argentina does not have more than 10 players," Werthein said. "There is a 50 percent chance that Argentina will have a team.
"We have tried to step into the situation and started to talk to some presidents of clubs. They are the ones who know how important football is for the Argentine people and that today you cannot put together a squad to go Rio is an embarrassment."
Argentina have twice won the gold medal in the Olympic football tournament, first in 2004 when Marcelo Bielsa was coach and then in 2008, when Messi led a team including Barca teammate Javier Mascherano and Manchester City's Sergio Aguero to the title.
Preparations for this year's tournament have been affected by a continuing corruption investigation and bitter power struggle in Argentine football.
Nine players were officially called up for the tournament on June 24, including Atletico Madrid attacker Angel Correa and Real Sociedad goalkeeper Gero Rulli, with the statement saying the rest would be added from a preliminary list within days.
That preliminary list includes Everton defender Ramiro Funes Mori, Atletico's Luciano Vietto and Matias Kranevitter and Inter Milan's Mauro Icardi, although recent reports have suggested that it is far from certain that any of these names will be released to play.
Werthein said: "What is going on with the Olympic team is about what is going on with AFA, where there is carelessness and neglect.
"This has been happening for many months. It is a long time since we have spoken to them. They have not seen the Olympic team as at all important. We have complained, but there is nobody there who we can talk to. This has generated a situation where everyone is enormously worried."
With Martino having stepped away, the AFA's Victor Blanco told Fox Sports Radio that 1986 World Cup winner Julio Olarticoechea, a former national women's team coach, is to take charge of the Olympic team.
Argentina are in Group D and scheduled to play Portugal in Rio on Aug. 4, Algeria in Rio on Aug. 7 and Honduras in Brasilia on Aug. 10. Uruguay are reportedly standing by to step in at short notice should they pull out of the competition.
Meanwhile, Bielsa, who coached Argentina between 1998 and 2004, is said to be one of the frontrunners to replace Martino.
Lazio commenced preseason training on Tuesday with La Gazzetta dello Sport reporting that there are doubts still surrounding Bielsa's appointment, although he is expected to formalise a two-year contract in Rome on Thursday.