These guys have access, and that means power. In return they are issued tickets, their travel expenses to stadiums are taken care of, they play a role in new signings and they even receive a percentage of the revenue from players sold. The president needs support and so does the club, and it is the barras bravas who can provide that. In Argentina however, (get ready for your jaw to drop) these fans (hooligans) are not only part of the clubs, they are financed by them.Īrgentine football clubs are non-profit making organisations whose members democratically elect presidents to run them.
These are the hardcore groups of fans, who in Europe are often banned from stadiums due to their violent and hooliganistic reputations.
The chanting and drumming is conducted by the clubs' barras bravas. Boca's home stadium La Bombonera even physically vibrates when packed to the brim.
The first match was in 1908 and the fixture has been one full of spine-tingling, no holds barred, decibelic explosive entertainment on the more than 300 occasions they have met since. Fans will even scream loudly when their team concedes a goal in an attempt to out-sing their opponents and save face.Īs noisy as the adjective loud is though, the word just doesn't cut it when describing the stadium experience, especially when it comes to el Superclásico. Up in the stands, where you actually still stand and don't have to mess around with a seat, it is no different. Whether you're stuck in traffic or taking part in a typical Argentine debate, (where everyone tends to speak at the same time), it's the loudest of the loud who wins. (All be it rather musical and sometimes quite pleasant on the ear racket).īecause in Argentina, loudness is loud. The overwhelming noise, explosions, fireworks, paper throwing, beating drums, blaring trumpets and chants could easily describe any one of the city's several daily protests when marchers block streets to make as much racket as possible. Whether you like football or not, witnessing the way Argentine fans behave inside stadiums is a uniquely South American experience and one that aides in the understanding of society here in general. With an estimated 70% of the population supporting either Boca or River, when these two giants meet the super ís added for well, self explanatory reasons. Clásico means derby in Spanish, and in Buenos Aires it is used to describe a match between any of the five Grandes, Independiente, San Lorenzo, Racing Club, Boca Juniors and River Plate. Let's face it, footy is massive in Argentina, and the day of el Superclásico is huge beyond all things huge it has to be written about. Boca Juniors versus River Plate - El Superclásico. It's the derby of all footballing derbies. According to the Observer newspaper it's one of the fifty must do sporting things before you die, while the Sun newspaper calls it 'the most intensive sporting event in the world'.