Football Stories - El Clasico De Avellenda - Six year send off

History

El Clasico de Avellanda is the second biggest Derby in Argentine domestic football behind River Plate and Boca Juniors in terms of support and recognition. But what it lacks in hype it undoubtedly makes up for with the feistiest rivalry in Argentine football.

Racing fans

The rivalry started because their grounds are only 300 meters apart in the once industrial heartland of Buenos Aires. The biannual fixture is surrounded in a history of violence, the most serious being in 2006 when the game was abandoned after fighting between the fans escalated out of control. Independiente were winning 2-0 when rioting broke out in the Racing stands in an attempt to get the game abandoned, resulting in a necessary replay. When Racing fans began to attack the police the game was eventually stopped. In the aftermath, drastic action was taken. All away fans were banned from the top four divisions of Argentine football and Racing fans were banned from their home ground. The win was eventually awarded to Independiente.

The violence is not limited to the fans, the players have been known to get involved. In the 1961 Clasico the referee was forced to suspend the game for 6 minutes due to fighting amongst the players. The referee eventually sent off 4 players from each team.

Racing V Independiente April 2011- Clausura

The atmosphere at Racing is like no other ground I have been to before due to the fans, but this day was unlike any I have ever experienced. The trip to a football ground in the UK is usually met with a few fans singing to each other and scarfs hanging outside the windows of cars. Racing fans took it a step further by holding blue and white flares while hanging outside buses jammed full of supporters.

Racing enter the pitch

We managed to get into the ground 25 minutes before kick-off. As we walked to our seats we passed twenty black bin bags in our section which I assumed were full of rubbish. How wrong could I be? The bags were full of paper to be thrown on to the pitch before kick-off. The endless amount of shredded paper and around thirty blue and white flares made for the most impressive entrance to a football game I have ever seen. There was so much smoke from the flares that I could not see the pitch from the second tier. Once Racing made their entrance a banner spanning half the circumference off the pitch was hung from the second tier. All this is to intimidate the Independiente fans and team which are left to watch this specular for 5 minutes before Racing have even stepped onto the pitch. The atmosphere had more in common with a rave than a football match.

This entrance is a tradition at Racing and in the past Racing have fans have thrown what must be a record of 15,000 toilet roles before the game.

15,000 toilet roles

The Independiente fans are known as the Amargos (translated as bitter in Argentina) to Racing because it is an expression given to fans that dont sing. Independiente are known as a crowd that would not follow their team as soon as they lost a couple of games - the exact opposite to Racing fans. 

http://racingclubexperience.blogspot.com/

In the past Racing have thrown lemons at Independiente showing their disgust, but this time they threw sugar sachets to cure there bitterness and their coach took one and started to eat it!

The spectacular entrance made up for the poor quality of football from two very nervous teams. Racing won 2-0 but if it had not been for poor finishing it would have been 5-0. However, no one cared because it was the first time Racing had won the Avellaneda derby in 11 attempts in a 6 year period. 

Just for good measure to keep the tradition of violence going in the fixture a Racing player clattered into his opposing number in the 90th minute. The raised two footed challenge was more reminiscent of a street fighter move on play station than a football tackle. The player was rightly given a straight red card.

Once the referee blew the final whistle the party began. Racing fans giving the Independiente fans a six year send-off. Racing fans kept singing in their home ground for the customary 30 minute period, before the police waited to let them leave the ground due to fears of crowd violence.