Joel Richards reports“It is the biggest game in our history,”
runs the Argentinian FA campaign.
“And we need to win.”
Amid the slightly laboured football
analogy imploring people not to go out- “if you leave home you’ll be caught
offside and hurt the team” – was the
simple message of unity in a time of
crisis. Star players appeared in another
video saying: “There are no colours, we
have to wear the same shirt.”
Carlos Tevez no doubt had similar
good intentions when he said players
were not the most affected by the
coronavirus pandemic. “Footballers can
go six months, or a year, without being
paid,” claimed the Boca Juniors captain.
“We are not in the same desperate
situation as kids who live day to day.”
Tevez grew up in an impoverished
neighbourhood and knows first-hand
the social and economic reality of many
people in his country. Yet his comments
sparked controversy among his fellow
players. Most do not earn the wages he is
on at Boca, nor indeed have they enjoyed
successful and lucrative moves to Europe.
“Many players are in the same
situation as any other worker who
can’t make ends meet if he’s not paid,”
said Luis Angel Salmon, a charismatic
lower-league journeyman striker in his
late 30s, who curiously had a short spell
at the same club as Tevez in China.
Diego Maradona, who is coach of
Gimnasia de La Plata, offered his contract
and wages up for review. But he warned
not all players can go so long without
pay and he believes some club directors
are using the situation to avoid paying
players, arguing: “It seems some clubs
have always had a pandemic.”
Clubs in Argentina already faced a
juggling act to balance the books, with
rampant inflation and currency controls,
before the suspension of all activities due
to the coronavirus outbreak. TV money
is secured for April, but after that it is
unclear where finance will come from.
The coronavirus pandemic reached
South America late. Argentina registered
its first case in early March, several
months after the outbreak in China, and
it has suffered relatively few deaths. The
country went into full national lockdown
on March 20 and Argentina president
Alberto Fernandez, recently declared an
honorary club member at ArgentinosJuniors for his birthday present,
admits: “I don’t know when football
will return. May seems the worst month
for it.” As winter nears in the southern
hemisphere, Argentina expects the spike
in cases in the coming months.
Racing Club de Avellaneda and
Talleres de Cordoba, were among the first
top-flight clubs to announce a reduction
in players’ wages in order to pay club
employees.
Clubs are now debating how football
will continue after lockdown. The
immediate task at hand is resuming the
second phase of the 2019-2020 season- the Copa Superliga, a separate
competition and title in itself.
Meanwhile the first phase, the
Superliga, ended in dramatic fashion.
In mid-February, with two games to
go, River Plate appeared set to win the
only piece of silverware missing from
Marcelo Gallardo’s personal trophy
cabinet. Since taking over at the
Monumental in 2014, he has lead
River to an astonishing period of
success, winning continental trophies
and defeating Boca Juniors in high-
octane clashes – not least the Copa
Libertadores Final of 2018. But he had
yet to win the Argentinian league.
And so it remains. River stumbled
and took just two points from the last six
available. Boca took all six and won the
first title in the new era.
Club presidential elections at Boca last
December saw Jorge Ameal win, and with
him Juan Roman Riquelme returned to
the club as sporting director. The former
playmaker’s first decision was to bring
2007 Libertadores-winning coach Miguel
Angel Russo back to the club.
Russo replaced Gustavo Alfaro, whose
conservative approach had riled senior
players. On Russo’s return the side drew
0-0 and then won all six remaining
games. He shifted the team’s formationTevez takes title
Boca crowned champions before shutdown
eyewitness
ARGENTINATevez’s goal against Gimnasia secured
Boca’s title. It was his 200th appearance
and 10th title with the clubArgument...Diego Maradona accused directorsAnother win...Tevez
(centre) celebrates