Nacho Fernández
and
Marcos Rojo,
two of the references that
River
and
Boca
have in their respective squads, entered the press room at the "Lionel Andrés Messi" property that the
Argentine Football Association
has in Ezeiza after a quarter to two in the afternoon.
. Then, after just over fifteen minutes of a relaxed conference,
Claudio
Chiqui
Tapia,
president of the AFA,
Juan Román Riquelme,
priest
of Xeneize,
Ignacio Villarroel,
second vice president of Millonario, and
Agustín Calleri,
former tennis player and president of the Córdoba Deportes agency.
Prior to the quarterfinal match of the League Cup that will be played on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. in Córdoba, all of them celebrated that a Superclásico will be played again with both sides and joined the message of
"rivals, not enemies"
that the Professional Football League downloads to the public.
“Playing with both fans again is something very nice. I hope it is in peace. We deserve that,”
said Nacho, whom Martín Demichelis imagines as a starter at the Mario Alberto Kempes stadium.
"It's very nice to play a classic. For me it is one of the best in the world. We have to be proud to be part of that. The last times we played, both at the Monumental and at the Bombonera, the people were always there. locally we have 85 thousand people who encourage us and it is a plus for us. Now it is half for each one.
I hope we can give them joy, but I said and I repeat that I hope it is in peace and the family can enjoy it,"
he added.
A River-Boca (or Boca-River) has not been played in Argentina with fans of both teams since March 14, 2018, when those led by Marcelo Gallardo won the Argentine Super Cup after winning 2-0 in Mendoza. those of Guillermo Barros Schelotto. And, closer in time,
the remembered final of the Copa Libertadores
played that same year in Madrid.
"The Superclásico is the biggest in the world because it was always the people of River and Boca. It hasn't happened in a long time and that means we did something wrong,"
said Riquelme, who offered an interesting reflection. "It's a football match. It's enjoyed and lived in a special way, people get excited, but we have to understand that in the end it's a football match. It's sport, nothing more than sport. It's competing, competing and competing.
Do we have the hope of winning? Of course. Do we have a great game? Of course. But more important for me is that people go and enjoy it,"
added the Xeneize idol.
It will be the eleventh time that they face each other in Córdoba with a favorable balance for those of the Red Band: six victories, two draws - one of which remained inconclusive because, unusually, the public did not return the balls that ended up in the stands - and two defeats. All of those matches were friendly, mostly corresponding to the extinct summer tournaments.
"One will win and on Monday he will charge the other, as has happened all his life. It is normal.
Before it was played in the summer in Mendoza, in Córdoba, in Mar del Plata and it was wonderful, so together we all have to try to achieve what
I hope that we all help to have the classic with both fans, be it in the Bombonera or on the River field, and that we can enjoy as I did when I was a soccer player," said Román in this regard
.
"We are rivals, not enemies,"
Chiqui
Tapia reinforced the message. "This is the most exciting game in all of South America. I want to thank the players who give us the opportunity to enhance the best soccer in the world," he added. And he made a request:
"Let's all collaborate to have better football
. "
"It is the most beautiful classic of all. Let's hope that everyone lives it with joy, those who go to the field and those who don't," added Villarroel, leader of Millo.
A decade has already passed without visiting fans in Argentine soccer.
It was on June 11, 2013 that the AFA made that drastic decision in response to the death of Lanús fan Javier Gérez
, who died after receiving a rubber bullet from a member of the Buenos Aires Police during the match against Estudiantes for the Final Tournament, and different recent events suggest that this restriction will hardly be reversed in the short term.
For example, the incidents recorded on the Rosario Central field in the duel against Peñarol for the group stage of the Copa Libertadores or the bottle hit that Fernando Brandán received in the clash between Chacarita and Tigre that had to be suspended by the 32nd team. final of the Argentine Cup. Nothing changed.
The intention is to see the Superclásicos again with both fans, to see Argentine football with the heat of both sides in the stands. For the moment, at least for the moment, it seems like a wish far from reality.