River Plate relegated

River Plate relegated to the Argentine second division for the first time in its 110-year history. River Plate is not only a huge club with great history but many believe it is an institution and most Argentines believe that it belongs in the Argentine top division. The rivalry between River Plate and Boca Juniors is world known. The superclasico which is one of the biggest and most exciting matches on the world football calendar will not be taking place in the next season.

Fans rioted the stadium after the 1-1 draw against Belgrano that condemned River Plate to relegation. To stay clear of Relegation River needed to win by 2 goals, but they failed to produce the result. After the relegation it’s expected that many high profile players and young talented footballers, will leave the club, heralding a wholesale change. The club president though along with former player Daniel Passarella said that they will stay, despite calls for their resignation.

The players are claiming that they will be back immediately, but many believe escaping from ‘La B’, as the Argentine second division is called, will not be an easy job. Because there will be a huge financial loss, the club’s television money will be reduced along with the match earnings, generating less revenues. Many top quality players will leave and the squad value will be diminished.

So what lead to the decline of Argentina’s most high profile club? Football analysts and fans have pointed out the regular selling of best players abroad is the main reason behind the decline in standards across the Argentine league. More than 1,000 Argentine players play their football at foreign clubs. Relegation system in Argentina is one of a kind, it is determined by the average number of points accumulated by a club over three years of football, which previously allowed the clubs with the money to buy better players and stay away from the danger zone. But the better players are not available now because they all are snapped up by the other league scouts. While the standard of the Argentine league on the decline, River themselves had their problems which ultimately led to this year’s relegation. River changed five managers in the past three years from when Daniel Passarella took over as president from, Jose Maria Aguilar. They sold some of the better players, but were unable to sign proper replacements.

Some say that football is just a game. But images of hundreds of men reduced to tears and the scenes of violence and frustration of the fans after the game testify that in Argentina, at least to River Plate fans, it’s much more than that.

Tags: Argentinian Football, Boca Juniors, River Plate, Superclásico, World Football