River Plate - Adios Millionarios!!!

[rrruss]

20 years ago River Plate finished in a relegation spot and the Argentine Football Association changed the rules to protect them. Relegation is decided in the average points gained over the last 3 years because of this, but the system has trapped River this year. They should have finished in a Copa Sudamerica place but instead found themselves in a relegation play-off, the first leg of which they lost 2-0 last night! If they don't overturn the deficit at the weekend, I wonder if the authorities will change the rules again. Either that or one of Argentina's big two will be relegated to the second division!

 

[Commander]

Good. Viva la Boca!

 

[Gritt23]

The rules will change!

Who are the team due to get promoted, and could their ground not meet some new regulation?

 

[Scarface]

Read the blog about this on the beeb earlier in the week. Very interesting stuff. Really complicated league structure too. Two seperate halves to the season and this average points thing for relegation. Then various playoffs as well! Seems that it is all very corrupt down there with organised gangs even taking chunks of transfer fees!

 

[rcf0712]

Read the blog about this on the beeb earlier in the week. Very interesting stuff. Really complicated league structure too. Two seperate halves to the season and this average points thing for relegation. Then various playoffs as well! Seems that it is all very corrupt down there with organised gangs even taking chunks of transfer fees!

Carlos Tevez, Alejandro Faurlin - strange goings on indeed. Seems offloading our two lads was a lot easier!

 

[rrruss]

I still think River will miraculously win 3-0 in the second leg with the ref being able to retire afterwards! Belgrano of Cordoba will no doubt be rewarded somehow too.

The lower leagues are even more complex. The team I followed when I lived in Salta, Gimnasia y Tiro who play in blue and white stripes, have just been promoted from the 4th Division. After walking away with their league, they had to play in a mini-league which they won easily, then they had to win 2 rounds of play-offs before finally gaining promotion. City rivals Central Norte lost out on a place in the 2nd Division after getting through the main league stage, the mini-league stage and 2 play-offs. They lost in the 3rd round of the play-offs, and even then there was a further round had they won. It's not easy moving up the pyramid in Argentina!!

 

[Jim D]

I still think River will miraculously win 3-0 in the second leg with the ref being able to retire afterwards! Belgrano of Cordoba will no doubt be rewarded somehow too.

Do the Argentinian press have stories about Belgrano 'sinking' River Plate?

 

[Commander]

when I lived in Salta

What a fantastic place to live, how long did you live there for? I love that city.

 

[xenophon]

I expect Sr Grondona will intervene on behalf of Los Millonarios, for the right price in a brown envelope of course. Then again, he is at loggerheads with Passarella, River's President.

Interesting if they do go down, but I'm sure the referee will have been got at for the return leg

 

[User removed 4]

I expect Sr Grondona will intervene on behalf of Los Millonarios, for the right price in a brown envelope of course. Then again, he is at loggerheads with Passarella, River's President.

Interesting if they do go down, but I'm sure the referee will have been got at for the return leg

They wont be that blatant surely, or am i being naive ?

 

[rrruss]

What a fantastic place to live, how long did you live there for? I love that city.

I was in Salta for a year. Before that I had a year in Buenos Aires where I followed this year's champions, Velez Sarsfield, who also play in blue and white. Couldn't bring myself to support Racing Club who play in blue and white stripes because of a good friend who supports Independiente!

 

[rrruss]

They wont be that blatant surely, or am i being naive ?

I saw too many dodgy late goals, usually to Boca or River, to believe that this couldn't happen!

 

[Commander]

I was in Salta for a year. Before that I had a year in Buenos Aires where I followed this year's champions, Velez Sarsfield, who also play in blue and white. Couldn't bring myself to support Racing Club who play in blue and white stripes because of a good friend who supports Independiente!

It's such an amazing country, I'd love to live there for a bit. Although the football is so corrupt, the atmosphere at games is just incredible. It all makes football in this country feel a bit flat these days. Going to Withdean a few weeks after going to la Bombanera almost made me never want to bother with it again.

 

[User removed 4]

I was in Salta for a year. Before that I had a year in Buenos Aires where I followed this year's champions, Velez Sarsfield, who also play in blue and white. Couldn't bring myself to support Racing Club who play in blue and white stripes because of a good friend who supports Independiente!

I've obviously heard of boca juniors and river plate who are buneos aires clubs, also heard of independiente and racing club, whereabouts are they based ?

 

[Commander]

I've obviously heard of boca juniors and river plate who are buneos aires clubs, also heard of independiente and racing club, whereabouts are they based ?

Think they are in Buenos Aires as well, or in the provinve anyway. BA has 24 professional teams!

 

[rrruss]

Most top flight football is based in Buenos Aires. Boca, River, Independiente, Racing, Huracan (now sadly relegated), San Lorenzo, Velez, Argentinos Juniors and All Boys are all in the city. Lanus, Banfield and Quilmes are districts just to the South. Tigre is a lovely town just a short train ride away. In La Plata (capital of Buenos Aires province) you have Estudiantes and Gimnasia. Olimpo Bahia Blanca are in the far South of Buenos Aires province.

Outside of Buenos Aires you have the city of Rosario who provide Newell's Old Boys and Rosario Central (now in 2nd Div). There's also Cordoba which hopefully will have Belgrano in the top flight next season. They have had some other clubs who have bounced around between the top two divisions. Further afield Santa Fe and Mendoza have clubs who survived this season.

If you live in the South of Argentina - unlucky!

If you live in the North East towards Brazil and Paraguay - unlucky!

If you live in the North, there used to be Gimnasia Jujuy but they got relegated last year along with San Martin of Tucuman.

Salta has 3 teams and they will all be in the same regionalised division next season in the third tier. Hopefully Gimnasia y Tiro can continue this season's fine form with promotion again!!

Below the second division the leagues are regionalised. At least half of the clubs are based in the Buenos Aires region and they have their own section of the lower league system. That's why so little top flight football is played outside of BA, it's just so hard for anyone to get there!

Wow, I do sound like an anorak!

 

[thejackal]

Having been to Chile a few times I can tell you that their league system is at least as bonkers, and sounds much like Argentina's: two 'seasons' per year, a complicated playoff system, averages (although not across seasons, yet) and the dreaded "Relegation Playoff Tournament".

That said, the atmosphere at the Classico de Santiago is truly incredible, although it's best if you don't dwell too long on what the stadium was being used for in the mid '70s.

 

[Commander]

Most top flight football is based in Buenos Aires. Boca, River, Independiente, Racing, Huracan (now sadly relegated), San Lorenzo, Velez, Argentinos Juniors and All Boys are all in the city. Lanus, Banfield and Quilmes are districts just to the South. Tigre is a lovely town just a short train ride away. In La Plata (capital of Buenos Aires province) you have Estudiantes and Gimnasia. Olimpo Bahia Blanca are in the far South of Buenos Aires province.

Outside of Buenos Aires you have the city of Rosario who provide Newell's Old Boys and Rosario Central (now in 2nd Div). There's also Cordoba which hopefully will have Belgrano in the top flight next season. They have had some other clubs who have bounced around between the top two divisions. Further afield Santa Fe and Mendoza have clubs who survived this season.

If you live in the South of Argentina - unlucky!

If you live in the North East towards Brazil and Paraguay - unlucky!

If you live in the North, there used to be Gimnasia Jujuy but they got relegated last year along with San Martin of Tucuman.

Salta has 3 teams and they will all be in the same regionalised division next season in the third tier. Hopefully Gimnasia y Tiro can continue this season's fine form with promotion again!!

Below the second division the leagues are regionalised. At least half of the clubs are based in the Buenos Aires region and they have their own section of the lower league system. That's why so little top flight football is played outside of BA, it's just so hard for anyone to get there!

Wow, I do sound like an anorak!

Going to away games on the first class Andesmar buses must be brilliant

 

[xenophon]

They wont be that blatant surely, or am i being naive ?

Argentinian football makes FIFA look like the Samaritans mate, that's why it's so entertaining

 

[16bha]

I have family in Buenos Aires, all Boca Juniors (they'll be happy that the rich kids are going down) . I would love to see some of this passion and colour in English Football. My first big football memory on TV was '78 World Cup. Andrex must have made a Fortune! Maybe Gus can bring some more of the Latin flavour in from across the Rio de La Plata.