The Origin of the Superclasico and the rivalry between River Plate and Boca Juniors dates back to the early 1900s. River Plate was founded in 1901 and Boca Juniors 4 years later in 1905, both in La Boca, a neighbourhood of Buenos Aeries in Argentina. River moved to Núñez, in the north of the city in 1925 which was a much more affluent area. Since the move, Boca has been seen as the club of the working class, with many fans being Italian immigrants who escaped Italy during the war. River on the other hand are nicknamed Los Millionaires (The Millionaires) with a much more upper-class support base and tended to splash the cash on players in the early days.
River Plate fans like to see attractive, champagne football, known for the three Gs; Gustar (to play well), Ganar (to win), Golear (hammer/smash/score a lot of goals). Boca’s philosophy is all about the Garrar (the claw), they expect players to put in 100% effort, and do whatever it takes to win. Despite the differing philosophies, the clubs are by far the two most successful clubs in Argentina, River Plate holding 36 Primera División titles, and Boca 34. Boca supporters like to call River fans ‘gallinas’ (Chickens) because they’re weak, lack guts and have no fighting spirit. River fans call Boca ‘los chanchitos’ (little pigs) and ‘bosteros’ (Pig Collectors) because they’re from a more disadvantaged area that stinks.
The rivalry hit new levels in 2011 when River Plate were relegated to the second division for the first time in 110 years. Boca fans celebrated like they had won the title. They paraded around the streets, treating the relegation as River’s funeral, with red and white paper mache coffins. These celebrations were led by La 12, the Boca Juniors Ultras fan group.
La 12 was founded in 1970 and their name dates back to 1925 when Boca Juniors went on their first-ever European tour, a fan travelled with the squad and was dubbed the 12th player. The River Plate Ultra group are known as Los Borrachos del Tablón, (the drunks of the stadium) which is pretty self-explanatory. Ultra fan groups in Argentina aren’t just about supporting a team, the more powerful ultras can earn a living off of; club merchandise, parking, tickets, and it is reported that some even receive a percentage of transfer fees and player wages.
No matter what they call each other, everyone can agree that this derby is probably the most fanatical derby in the whole world, so let’s enjoy the photos of this amazing match with amazing atmosphere:
