One of my ambitions for coming to Argentina was to see a football match. In the past, River Plate and Racing Club were two strong teams, but both have fallen on hard times. I got a ticket to see these two play a derby of basically fading giants, and the football itself was unremarkable. I was even surprised at the low quality – like the 2nd division in UK. But the atmosphere was amazing.
The stadium was less than two thirds full, but at each end there was a section of River and Racing fans who made incredible noise through the whole game. I have been to games in England and Holland where the crowd wait until the team does something before cheering or shouting in support. Not so in Argentina. From ages before the starting whistle to long after the final moment, there were drums, shouting, clapping and chanting. I took a couple of movies just to capture the amazing noise.
A man next to us summed it all up. He wore his River Plate shirt and
as soon as the game, his poor girlfriend ceased to exist, just like the rest of the world apart from his immediate focus of the game, the players and most of all the referee. He chanted, shouted and swore at every single move made, for better or for worse. My Spanish is not great, but I have picked up a few words – the phrase “Tu Madre” can be used in various offensive ways and he shouted it in different forms at everything that moved. When the referee made a mistake, he and various other fans around shouted what I can only politely explain as “return to the womb of your mother!” (this is a heavily watered-down translation of the reality of his sentiment...)
I did feel sorry for his girlfriend as she seemed to utter a silent prayer when River scored their 2 goals. God only knows what happens when his team lose, as they frequently have done this year.
The game is very different to England in many ways. There were cheap food places all over the stadium, selling burgers, hot dogs and coke for a Euro each (forget being a vegetarian in an Argentinian football stadium - the
aroma of frying cheap meat is all-pervasive). I felt that the average person could afford to go to a game here, with tickets at around 6-8 Euros for standing in the upper parts of the stadium. In England, it is an incredibly expensive experience – at least 30 pounds just to get in and a burger would be 6-7 times that of the place I went last night. Seats are probably much more comfortable in UK – these at River Plate's stadium felt like park benches – but for a 2-hour period it's enough. It felt like football is still very much the “common man's sport” here in Argentina.
All around the city, I have seen posters which look like those for a
local election in politics. In fact, they were promoting Daniel Passarella as the new Presidente of River Plate football club, and he was voted in last Sunday. He is a familiar figure to me because in 1978, I watched my first World Cup in full. Argentina won and Passarella was a central defender who oozed class and authority and had an unhurried way of dealing with every situation, just the coolest player you could ever imagine. One poster said “Grandes Crises, Grandes Hombres” - for a big crisis you need a big man. I find it fascinating that Argentina trust personality so much.
The stadium was less than two thirds full, but at each end there was a section of River and Racing fans who made incredible noise through the whole game. I have been to games in England and Holland where the crowd wait until the team does something before cheering or shouting in support. Not so in Argentina. From ages before the starting whistle to long after the final moment, there were drums, shouting, clapping and chanting. I took a couple of movies just to capture the amazing noise.
A man next to us summed it all up. He wore his River Plate shirt and
as soon as the game, his poor girlfriend ceased to exist, just like the rest of the world apart from his immediate focus of the game, the players and most of all the referee. He chanted, shouted and swore at every single move made, for better or for worse. My Spanish is not great, but I have picked up a few words – the phrase “Tu Madre” can be used in various offensive ways and he shouted it in different forms at everything that moved. When the referee made a mistake, he and various other fans around shouted what I can only politely explain as “return to the womb of your mother!” (this is a heavily watered-down translation of the reality of his sentiment...)I did feel sorry for his girlfriend as she seemed to utter a silent prayer when River scored their 2 goals. God only knows what happens when his team lose, as they frequently have done this year.
The game is very different to England in many ways. There were cheap food places all over the stadium, selling burgers, hot dogs and coke for a Euro each (forget being a vegetarian in an Argentinian football stadium - the
aroma of frying cheap meat is all-pervasive). I felt that the average person could afford to go to a game here, with tickets at around 6-8 Euros for standing in the upper parts of the stadium. In England, it is an incredibly expensive experience – at least 30 pounds just to get in and a burger would be 6-7 times that of the place I went last night. Seats are probably much more comfortable in UK – these at River Plate's stadium felt like park benches – but for a 2-hour period it's enough. It felt like football is still very much the “common man's sport” here in Argentina.All around the city, I have seen posters which look like those for a
local election in politics. In fact, they were promoting Daniel Passarella as the new Presidente of River Plate football club, and he was voted in last Sunday. He is a familiar figure to me because in 1978, I watched my first World Cup in full. Argentina won and Passarella was a central defender who oozed class and authority and had an unhurried way of dealing with every situation, just the coolest player you could ever imagine. One poster said “Grandes Crises, Grandes Hombres” - for a big crisis you need a big man. I find it fascinating that Argentina trust personality so much. In the English Premier League, a 
club needs an Arabic or Russian investor to come and throw 200m at the club to make a difference. Here, just having a man with Passarella's reputation and re-assuring presence is enough. I saw him at the stadium, a small thrill to be close to a World Cup Winning Captain.
Likewise for the National team. Maradona is the coach, and he is absolutely idolised here, to the extent that his image is on many posters with phrases like “Thank God for Diego”, "God Exists" and other similar deifying messages. Since all kinds of drug and personal problems, a resurgent Maradona became the coach of the National Team, despite the fact that his few attempts to coach clubs had failed
dismally. It would be like putting Beckham in charge of England in 10 years time, assuming he had no coaching experience, had snorted various crazy amounts of cocaine, broken up with Posh and lost all his money, physique and charm. This is pretty much what Maradona has done, and yet he is such an icon of hope and past success in this country that the risk was taken to put him in place. In the last year, his team (featuring Lionel Messi, the world's best player) lost 6-1 to Bolivia, considered a national humiliation. Argentina qualified for the World Cup finals with a last minute winner in their last qualifier. The hand of God saved his reputation for now, let's see how his team fare in the summer.
I also once saw Maradona, 5 years ago at Lisbon airport on the way to the Euro 2004 final. He seemed small, petulant and lonely. Why on earth give such a character such a huge responsibility? Reality is that most football players come from a poor background where only their ability to kick a ball elevates them to media stars. Yet media is all about communication and these guys have no skills in this. Beckham has shone over the years because he has honed his ability in front of the microphone.
Personally, I find Beckham a magnetic person who has learned genuine humility and for all his superstardom, he never quite forgets that he is an East London lad from humble origins (just my opinion...) The difference is that Maradona has not lived his life like Becks. Our David's response to problems on the football pitch has always been to train harder, work harder at what he does best - run around and kick a ball.
club needs an Arabic or Russian investor to come and throw 200m at the club to make a difference. Here, just having a man with Passarella's reputation and re-assuring presence is enough. I saw him at the stadium, a small thrill to be close to a World Cup Winning Captain.Likewise for the National team. Maradona is the coach, and he is absolutely idolised here, to the extent that his image is on many posters with phrases like “Thank God for Diego”, "God Exists" and other similar deifying messages. Since all kinds of drug and personal problems, a resurgent Maradona became the coach of the National Team, despite the fact that his few attempts to coach clubs had failed
dismally. It would be like putting Beckham in charge of England in 10 years time, assuming he had no coaching experience, had snorted various crazy amounts of cocaine, broken up with Posh and lost all his money, physique and charm. This is pretty much what Maradona has done, and yet he is such an icon of hope and past success in this country that the risk was taken to put him in place. In the last year, his team (featuring Lionel Messi, the world's best player) lost 6-1 to Bolivia, considered a national humiliation. Argentina qualified for the World Cup finals with a last minute winner in their last qualifier. The hand of God saved his reputation for now, let's see how his team fare in the summer.I also once saw Maradona, 5 years ago at Lisbon airport on the way to the Euro 2004 final. He seemed small, petulant and lonely. Why on earth give such a character such a huge responsibility? Reality is that most football players come from a poor background where only their ability to kick a ball elevates them to media stars. Yet media is all about communication and these guys have no skills in this. Beckham has shone over the years because he has honed his ability in front of the microphone.
Personally, I find Beckham a magnetic person who has learned genuine humility and for all his superstardom, he never quite forgets that he is an East London lad from humble origins (just my opinion...) The difference is that Maradona has not lived his life like Becks. Our David's response to problems on the football pitch has always been to train harder, work harder at what he does best - run around and kick a ball.
When Beckham announced mid-season that he was moving to USA, he lost his place in the Real Madrid side. His coach at the time, Fabio Capello (now England Manager) said "you will never play for Real Madrid again", because he doubted his player's commitment. Instead of crying or complaining, Beckham said the manager had the last word, and he trained. Harder and harder. He forced his way into the team again and finally won the league with Real. When faced with losing his place in the England team, Becks came back from USA and trained - hard - with AC MIlan. Now as England coach, Capello, picks him regularly. It's all a case of attitude.
I read an article recently by an Italian defender, Franco Baresi, who played against Maradona many times. He was asked "how did you stop him? Just kick him?" Baresi answered "you simply had 2-3 players on him. 1-on-1, you always lost to him. He was unstoppable." Maradona had the talent that no-one else had, abilities Beckham could only dream of.
I read an article recently by an Italian defender, Franco Baresi, who played against Maradona many times. He was asked "how did you stop him? Just kick him?" Baresi answered "you simply had 2-3 players on him. 1-on-1, you always lost to him. He was unstoppable." Maradona had the talent that no-one else had, abilities Beckham could only dream of.
In 1994, overweight and out of form, Maradona went to the World Cup
and out-performed himself. But true fans (including me) had their hearts broken when it turned out that his performances were amphetamine-fuelled and he was sent home in disgrace from the World Cup. He wasn't prepared to do the world that his talent deserved. And since then, his life has gone from disaster to disaster until a couple of years ago, when he seemed to get clean. The power of reputation and personality seems to have carried him through here in Argentina, and the hopes of many fans (and their girlfriends) rest on his shoulders.
and out-performed himself. But true fans (including me) had their hearts broken when it turned out that his performances were amphetamine-fuelled and he was sent home in disgrace from the World Cup. He wasn't prepared to do the world that his talent deserved. And since then, his life has gone from disaster to disaster until a couple of years ago, when he seemed to get clean. The power of reputation and personality seems to have carried him through here in Argentina, and the hopes of many fans (and their girlfriends) rest on his shoulders. The religion of Argentina is catholic, followed closely by football.
