Guardian - Joel Richards - Blog
River Plate problems run deeper than just relegationAfter 110 years in the first division, the millonarios were relegated marking both for the club and for Argentinian football the end, and beginning, of an eraWith 33 league titles, they have won more than any other club in the country. Three years ago they were Argentinian champions, and 15 years ago to the day, River Plate were crowned South American champions, winning the Copa Libertadores. But on Sunday, what for most Argentinians was unthinkable, unimaginable, or simply impossible, happened. After 110 years in the first division, the millonarios were relegated to the second division marking both for the club and for Argentinian football the end, and beginning, of an era.
The violence that erupted after Sunday's match was as predictable as it was contemptible. In the first leg of the relegation play-off with Belgrano, last week, masked supporters ran on to the pitch to threaten River's players face to face. The following day, a group of fans chose to send a message to the squad ahead of the return leg, hanging up a banner outside the Monumental. It was clear, direct and menacing: "Kill or die".
With seconds left on the clock and River having failed to reverse the 2-0 from the first leg, the riots began. Seats ripped from the stands showered on to the field of play. The players were surrounded by a ring of security guards in the centre circle in case of a pitch invasion. Helicopters soon circled above the stadium as bullets were fired outside and smoke and tear gas filled the air. Neighbouring businesses and homes were smashed as an estimated 89 people were injured in the disturbances.
While the authorities struggled to calm the situation, fans and journalists began the autopsy. Many were quick to label the team the worst ever at the club, but River's relegation is far more complex than a single season's poor form. Despite a chronic dip in performances, not winning one of its last seven matches, and despite the erratic team selection and conservative approach from the coach JJ López, they ended the 2010/11 season joint fifth.
While there are new champions every six months in Argentina, with two short leagues played every year, relegation is decided on a three-year points average. It is this system, initially introduced to help the bigger clubs in the early 1980s, which condemned River Plate.
After guiding the team to win the 2008 Clausura, Diego Simeone's team ended the following Apertura with 14 points, last in the table. With a poor Clausura, they ended the 2008/09 with just 41 points. The following year, they only improved two points on that total, meaning that this season would be a battle for survival from the very start. Despite a marked improvement on recent years' results, 57 points wasn't enough to avoid the play-off.
The problems at River, however, extend far beyond the league tables, and go a long way to explaining the past few years' results.
When Daniel Passarella took over in December 2009 he was quick to point to the vast debt he inherited from his predecessor José María Aguilar, with sponsorship contracts paid out in full with years still to run on them, and the club only owning percentages of players' transfer rights. There simply wasn't the money to bring in new faces, and the first team squad was made up of youth team players and players on loan. A year and a half into Passarella's presidency, the debt is still in the region of 216m pesos (£33m), while players are owed over 20m pesos in wages.
River are now forced to sell a number of their top players, and will hold out for a high bid for Erik Lamela in particular. Their TV income, meanwhile, will be slashed from 28m pesos a year to 4m pesos. Balancing the books in the second division will be an even harder task than it was in the first.
Passarella may yet publish findings of the audit he announced for the accounts under Aguilar, which may shed light on serious allegations of corruption and mismanagement. It would deflect criticism. But Passarella's opponents say he vastly underestimated the scale of the problem facing the club. They also attack him for losing the boardroom battle after challenging AFA president Julio Grondona in the aftermath of River's defeat to Boca Juniors in the superclásico.
It is not just River that has to plan and brave itself for life in the second division. The football industry in Argentina must also prepare for River's absence in what will be a cultural change. Together, River and Boca dominate the landscape, both in terms of the number of fans and in terms of the media coverage. Boca supporters in particular may be revelling in River's plight, but will also be well aware that they feed off, and depend on, the rivalry with River. Both clubs know there is no match that guarantees income, or which can save a poor season, like the superclásico.
While the new order in Argentina's first division is fought over next year, River Plate must bounce straight back up. Beyond prestige and income, Sunday afternoon's violence pointed to a more serious problem haunting the club – the barra brava. Their business – they are far more than just hooligans – depends on the team's success. It will gall everybody at River Plate to accept and admit, but for now they must focus on winning the second division.
www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2011/jun/28/river-plate-relegation-problems
