Could River Plate be the Team for You?
Looking for a new football team to follow? Interested in supporting a South American club? Then look no further than Club Atlético River Plate!
Have you ever wanted to support a team as successful as Manchester United, Barcelona or Real Madrid but who is rarely mentioned within mainstream media? Well, in that case, River Plate may just be the team for you!
A club that within their own right can be placed in the bracket of the powerhouses of world football. They are a club that has significantly less support amongst European football fans but given the rise of social media and online technology, keeping up to date and following River Plate has become easier than ever for us European-based football fans, and with that, here is why YOU should follow or even support River Plate!
Sam Plummer gets his virtual plane ticket and takes us to Argentina, in his first article for The Sporting Blog.
Los Millonarios have won the Argentine Primera Division 36 times and South America's most prestigious title, the Copa Libertadores 4 times. Having achieved this in a spell of 119 years to become one of South America's most successful clubs. River Plate was recognised by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics as being one of the Top 10 clubs ofthe 20th Century.
Globally, the club is well known for their fierce rivalry with city-neighbours Boca Juniors as they regularly battle it out for the domestic titles each year. Between them having won the Primera Division de Argentina 63 times! It is with that rivalry that provides one of the best atmospheres in world football, one that many of us dream of experiencing at least once in our lifetimes as football fans.
During their long, illustrious history, the club has provided world football with many greats, from Enzo Francescoli, Angel Labruna to the incomparable Alfredo Di Stefano. Alongside these great names, the club has continued to produce incredible talent. Talent that European football fans have been blessed in welcoming, with players such as Radamel Falcao, Javier Mascherano, Gonzalo Higuain and Esteban Cambiasso all being developed at River Plate before coming to Europe.
This article will list off a few reasons as to why you should consider becoming a River hincha (fan) and the things that make this Argentine club so special and unique. With that, let's see what you could be in store for by following River Plate!
The River Plate Fans
Many clubs around the world will claim that their fans are the most passionate and entertaining to watch on matchday. However, very few can compare to that of Club Atlético River Plate and many other Argentinian sides for that matter.
One of the things that River Plate fans are incredibly proud of is their stadium, the place where their fans call home and host their unrivalled passion- El Monumental.
“[El Monumental?] It’s quite amazing. Being there is just chilling. The excitement you feel from absolutely everyone is something truly great. It being the best (and biggest) stadium in the country is also pretty special”,
whilst ‘River Plate in English’ via Twitter suggested that
“Other stadiums in Argentina are similar but in Europe there is nothing close”
When the 70,000 seater stadium is packed out with River hinchadas, all united as they sing ‘Si Señor’, ‘Los Borrachos del Tablon’ or ‘Señores yo soy del Gallinero’, the atmosphere is truly unique, complemented with the perfect stadium design that allows the chants to echo all in unison.
If you did not know any better, you could be mistaken for believing that you were at a concert when watching River Plate at El Monumental, not a football game!
Videos of River Plate fans manage to go viral on a regular basis all across social media and that is credit to their incredible atmosphere before, during and after games.
Supporting River Plate is far from just a hobby, it is a way of life. For the fans, the club means everything to them, and they repay all that through their support. From the chants, to the fireworks and pyros to the extraordinary banners unveiled at each and every River Plate game.
The fans care equally as much about the atmosphere as they do about the results on the pitch and that is shown in the videos that we have probably all seen on social media!
Exciting facts about River Plate fans:
The club already has a massive following around the world- with current fans joining together as part of the Filiales. Unlike the major clubs that River Plate are often compared to from Europe, Argentine football teams are funded by the fans- the membership fees raised by the Filiales are what fund the clubs- they are not privately owned.
Given the impact memberships have, River Plate has the 6th biggest following in the world and they are 1st in all of Latin America.
The 1966 Copa Libertadores Final saw River Plate lose to Peñarol (after blowing a 2-0 first-half lead). The following league match against Banfield saw fans let a chicken run loose on the pitch to mock River Plate. As a result, the club has since been known as the ‘Gallinas’- meaning chickens.
“Gallinas is a disrespecting term, but we use it proudly”.
After what was supposed to be a mocking of River Plate, the ongoing joke has become a part of the clubs DNA and the fans have embraced the term that was once used against them. Showing the fans great sense of humour where others try to humiliate them.
One of the things that make River Plate’s fans stand out so much is that they hold the record for the longest football flag ever to be created, breaking the record in 2012 as 15,000 supporters built the 7,000-metre flag in the streets of Buenos Aires. Something completely unique. To be able to gather that many fans show their support in achieving this record is very special!
The fans continue to show their unprecedented support for the team during the 2015 Club World Cup Semi-Final that was held in Japan. The game united over 20,000 River Plate fans who made the long-haul flight from Buenos Aires to Osaka. Simply a figure that struggles to be rivalled by any other. The River Plate fans continuously go above and beyond to live up to the reputation for having the best fans in the world of football.
The expectation from River Plate fans on the pitch
The fans follow a simple philosophy of 'the Three G's: Ganar (to win), Gustar (to play well) and Golear (to win by scoring as many goals as possible).
This philosophy is quite special. For most clubs, they are happy simply with a win, but this is not the case for La Banda. For River Plate and their fans, it is about winning in style and that is only achieved by scoring as many goals as possible. When the team wins narrowly and scrapes a win, the fans are not happy!
If you choose to follow River Plate, then expect fans to be intense, not just in their support for the club, but in their reactions to the performances on the pitch.
Immense Rivalries
Everyone who considers themselves a football fan will be aware of the Superclásico- River Plate vs Boca Juniors. With the two being based in Buenos Aires, the constant battle for the city-bragging rights is never-ending. The rivalry has been suggested as being the "biggest and best rivalry in the world" by FourFourTwo and The Daily Mirror. Whilst "the derby day experience makes the Old Firm look like a primary school kick-about". Credit to both River Plate and Boca Juniors fans as they both know how to put on a show for everyone involved in the occasion.
An entire film, book and series could be made solely on the rivalry of Boca and River Plate. The two largest clubs in Argentina that have attained roughly 80% of the national support from football fans in the country. A monopoly that simply cannot be compared to any other country in the world.
The rivalry has brought some classic matchups in the past. The 2014 Copa Sudamericana, being the first international competitive match between the two in 10 years. The Round of 16 Copa Libertadores in 2015 which had to be cancelled after a River Plate player had been attacked with pepper spray, eventually disqualifying Boca Juniors as River went on to win the competition for their third time.
Then the most memorable matchup in recent times between the two is the Copa Libertadores Final of 2018. A fixture that ended 2-2 in the first leg but after River Plate fans threw rocks at the Boca team bus ahead of the second leg. The match was rescheduled and played out in Madrid- the Santiago Bernabeu. The attention of the world was on this fixture with it being brought to Europe, the world had the chance to experience the fiery and passion-fuelled rivalry as River Plate came away 3-1 winners and Campeones of the Copa Libertadores for the second time in three years.
The @CARP_English Twitter exclaimed that this night in 2018 “was the most special night ever, an utter fantasy… The celebrations in Buenos Aires were wild” as they partied in the face of their fiercest rivals’ misery.
Despite the rivalry with Boca, River Plate less recognisably has rivalries with San Lorenzo, Independiente and Racing Club. Meaning that if you never get the chance to experience Los Millonarios in the Superclasico, there will be plenty of opportunities to see in person the amazing fan-fuelled experience against any of these other fierce rivals.
The challenges of the Primera Division
The Primera Division de Argentina was ranked 4th in terms of quality in the world during a 2015 ranking by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics behind the Serie A, La Liga and Bundesliga.
Despite the narrative that Europe provides the best quality football in the world, these figures suggest that Argentina matches Europe's elite leagues- topping the Premier League and Ligue 1 in the rankings as recently as 2015. That is a credit to the number of top-quality teams in the league that often go unnoticed and overshadowed by Boca and River. Unlike many European teams, Argentina has a highly disputed league that is consistently competitive across many different teams. It is a league that is difficult to predict, despite the reputation of the big 5.
Since 2010, the Primera Division has seen many different teams win the league. From Estudiantes, Velez Sarsfield, Boca, River Plate, Newell’s Old Boys, San Lorenzo and Racing Club have all had top-flight league successes. The number of teams having topped the Argentine topflight is incomparable to any other league, it is simply unpredictable, making the league incredibly interesting to watch and exciting at the same time!
The big teams turn their attention to the Copa Libertadores
River Plate regularly competes in South America's most coveted and infamous competition- the Copa Libertadores. A tournament filled with Latino flair, passion and excitement as the best teams of all of South America challenge for the continent's top title.
Whilst interviewing a lot of River Plate fans, many suggested that if you want to see the team play at their very best and to see the fans take their passion to another level, you must wait until you see them play in the Copa Libertadores, a tournament that they really show up for and play their best football. As mentioned before River Plate have won the tournament 4 times, 2 of those coming in the last 10 years!
Whilst they focus on continental success, opportunities for other Argentinian sides to achieve national success has become evident. It is with this that once again makes the Primera Division such an exciting league to watch. The sides competing in the Libertadores often focus on that whilst the remaining teams provide a greater challenge in the league as a result.
Supporting River Plate would offer non-stop entertainment
Most clubs will have spells where they struggle to maintain their very best form and enter mid-table mediocrity before returning back to the very top. However, for River Plate it seems that they are all or nothing. In 2011, La Banda were relegated from the Primera Division. A first-time experience for the River Plate fans, as a result, fans burned down shops, cars and houses in protest. Relegation was simply a myth to the fans before this moment.
Bit of agro
Despite the relegation, the club set national records in their season in the Second Division. Selling out home and away stadiums and continued to be the most viewed team in the country. The support for this club is remarkable, when times get tough, the support grows stronger.
If you are a person who enjoys watching your team in different sports, then River Plate is perfect for you! The club provides a team for Basketball, Taekwondo, Hockey, Volleyball, Handball, Waterpolo and many more that even include an eSports team if you enjoy online sports!
So why become a River hincha?
The opportunity to become a River fan is completely different and unique to any other in the world- you simply cannot tell what is going to happen next for this club. The passion shown by River hinchas is intense, far more intense than anything we can compare it to in Europe. From their 2011 shock relegation to their triumph of the Primera Division in 2014, there will never be a dull moment when supporting this club as the club thrives from its successes. The club continuously develops incredible young talent through its amazing youth setup, you could be one of the very first to watch the next ‘Higuain’, ‘Pablo Aimar’ or ‘Hernan Crespo’ before they go on to conquer the world!
Every match that River Plate plays, the fans make it feel like a concert. It is a true atmosphere unlike any other. The same can be said for many Argentine football teams, but with their continued support all over the world, the River Plate fans are especially unique. The fans are incredible, they go much beyond any other group of football fans I have ever seen to show their support.
We hope you enjoyed this story 'Could River Plate be the Team for You?'. Here at The Sporting Blog, we are looking to turn this into a series where we look at clubs from all around the world, so be sure to mention which clubs you would like us to do a feature on next!
