Who doesn’t love the atmosphere of a football match? In England and across Europe, we have some fantastic derby matches and legendary contests that we look forward to each year, or when there’s a cross-division cup-tie. However, in recent years, crowds in England and Europe have arguably become much tamer, as football stadiums become a safer, calmer and more family-friendly atmosphere and place to be each Saturday. Personally, I’m okay with that, because I’m not a hooligan, never will be and never would want to be, and being able to safely enjoy a football game is something that I want, and I want for those around me.

However, at the expense of the traditional-atmosphere, we lose an element of being at the game. The biggest teams have stadiums filled with tourists and casual supporters, again which is completely understandable and acceptable for modern football, but consequently there is limited atmosphere. As a result, we admire, crave and yearn for the likes of Dortmund’s Westfalenstadion and the Yellow Wall. However, over in other continents which are often ignored on a league football level for us fans in Europe, these rivalries, atmospheres and the chaos still reigns.

Arguably the biggest of these rivalries, particularly across South America is the Superclásico, a match-up between Buenos Aires arch-rivals Boca Juniors and River Plate. It is a well-known rivalry that often transcends the game itself, with the rivalry apparently making up more than 70% of Argentine football fans between the two sides, meaning this one is intense to say the least. Boca and River Plate are most probably the 2 biggest Argentinian footballing clubs to most fans around the world, and when the 2 battle it out, there is a fierce contest on the pitch, and a raucous atmosphere in the stadium. Looking at footage from previous meetings, this is one of those, you have to be there events, that genuinely will draw out passion and the love of the game from any fan.

In this post, I will as always, talk briefly about why attending one of these fixtures is on my personal Bucket List, and then I will move on to talk about the history of the Superclásico (from my admittedly limited knowledge and internet research). To wrap things up, I will finish off the post with a recommendation of a COPA90 documentary video from YouTube, in which they experience the Superclásico and it will show just why the game is so magical and intense.

Enjoy…

Why It’s On My Bucket List…

As with many things on this Bucket List, it feels just obvious as to why they make it onto the list, however with this one, there is so much more mystique around being at a fixture like this, even more so, considering that I genuinely don’t know much about the Argentinian football league (I do know it’s called the Primera División). To be fair, growing up and living in the north of England, the TV channels airing Argentinian football are few and far between, and the possibility of me staying awake to watch some league games, is less and less likely as I grow older. However, there is always one fixture that I will find highlights of when it comes around, and that is the Superclásico. I love a rivalry match, as often it brings the best out of each side, and watching mad crowds kick every ball for their team is such a novelty of the past year, that it makes me yearn to be at the game even more.

The aforementioned mystique for being at a game like this, is much more than football, as Argentina as a country seems so lively and different than the UK, and watching games in the sunshine is always more magnificent. I love travelling and exploring new places, and South America would definitely be somewhere I want to visit and see for myself. Therefore, adding this one to the bucket list, ticks off even more than the game itself.

Sticking with the football however, there are so many reasons to attend this fixture, which has been labelled by several outlets as ‘one of the things every football fan must do before you die’, and another magnificent description of the game ‘making the old-firm look like a primary school kick-about’. Either stadium, whether La Bombonera or El Monumental, creates such an atmosphere that makes you want to be there. If you are unaware of this, just try and imagine Dortmund’s Yellow Wall, in the sunshine, with more flares and ramped up to 11. Meanwhile, on the pitch, the South American flair of football mixed with the rivalry fight, creates some incredible moments and a different style of football, that simply watching games in the UK doesn’t offer. Although the game is still 22 men kicking a ball, the passing and movement even feels slightly different and unique, particularly considering the last full game I watched was a drab Premier League 0-0 between 2 mid-table sides with no crowd.

It’s just a magnificent spectacle, in a country that feels so similar and yet so different, and the combination of those 2 just creates such an appealing and enticing prospect, that shoots straight up to the top of my Bucket List.

History of the Superclásico…

The Clásico title used so frequently across Europe for games such as Barcelona Vs Real Madrid, originated in Argentina with this very fixture between Boca Juniors and River Plate. It is the Superclásico, as it is simply translated to the super derby, between the 2 most popular and successful clubs, who both happen to be within 7km of one-another.

It’s a contest which has occurred for over 100 years, with the first recorded fixture taking place in 1913. The two sides represented a historical class split, with Boca traditionally coming from the local Italian immigrant community, referred to as the Xeneizes, while River Plate became Los Millonarios, with a supposedly upper-class fanbase. This closeness and rivalry in the game was destined to become a fierce rivalry. They met in 1908 and 1912 in ‘friendly’ matches, if we are able to call them friendly fixtures, before their first official match-up in 1913 in which River won 2-1, in front of 7,000 spectators inside Racing Club Stadium.

From that point, the matches and fixtures have been frequent and fiery, with Boca fans calling River ‘Chickens’, whilst River fans return the favour, calling Boca ‘Little Pigs’ and ‘Manure Collectors’ due to the claim of Boca being situated in a less-affluent area. The fixture is known for it’s unique atmosphere which is a fierce celebration and passionate support from both sides, with flares, fireworks, banners and raucous chanting and jumping from supporters who maintain this throughout the 90 minutes, before most fixtures ending in some form of altercation. The rivalry between the two sides has again caused some tension and issues for the players themselves, as some have braved to move between the clubs, which puts them at the centre of the abuse and criticism from opposition supporters. It takes a brave person to make the short move from either club.

On March 21 2010, the match was suspended in the 9th minute, due to heavy rainfall. In the few minutes of game-time, both sides struggled massively to keep possession and the game was eventually called off for a few days, until March 25th when the game restarted with 2 halves of football, lasting 41 minutes each, to make up for the failed game earlier. This game is the first Superclásico to have been suspended.

In June 2011, River Plate were relegated for the first time in their history, however they returned quickly in 2012. They returned with a vengeance, to eliminate Boca in the  2014 Copa Sudamericana, 2015 Copa Libertadores, 2017 Supercopa Argentina, 2018 Copa Libertadores, and the 2019 Copa Libertadores, and went on to lift the trophies in many of these instances.

During the 2015 Copa Libertadores, River players were attacked at half-time and pepper-sprayed by a Boca fan shortly before the second 45. This led to River being awarded the victory. In 2018 and the Copa Libertadores finals, Boca’s team bus was attacked and pelted by River fans, resulting in the fixture being suspended for the 2nd time in 10 years, and had to be rearranged to be played in Spain and the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in which River left eventual winners. This game attracted major attention across Europe, and the rivalry sparked major interest from supporters across the world to this major fixture.

The overall statistics currently stand at 252 games played, with 88 Boca wins, 83 River wins and 80 draws. Boca are the higher scorers also as they have netted 329 times compared to River Plate’s 310. The biggest victory for Boca came in 1928 as they won 6-0, whilst River’s biggest victory was 1941 with a 4-1 win. Boca also lead in trophy wins, as they have 70 overall honours, compared to 66 for River. Individually, the highest appearance maker is Reinaldo Merlo (River Plate) who took part in a record 42 Superclásico fixtures, whilst Ángel Labruna (River Plate) is the current record scorer in the fixture, bagging 16 goals in his 35 appearances.

It would be unfair not to mention in the history of the Superclásico, the tragedy of the Puerta 12 tragedy, and whilst I don’t want to hover on this event, it would be poor of me not to mention. on June 23rd 1968, in El Monumental, 71 fans were sadly crushed at a gate on exit following the fixture. 150 fans were left injured after the event, and sadly, there were mixed claims as to what and why the horrific event occurred, and unfortunately, the enquiry found nobody guilty and many families were left without answers.

If you’ve made it to this point in the post, can I now recommend you head off immediately to YouTube and watch this hour long documentary by COPA90 who truly encapsulated the beauty and beast of this rivalry.