The Superclasico is back!

Porteños have been suffering: a whole year went by without Buenos Aires’ two eternal rival football teams Boca Juniors and River plate meeting. Now the wait is finally over and the country’s most awaited game the Superclasico (THE Buenos Aires Derby!) is set for the 28^th of October. As River dropped down to the second division last year, the two teams only met in two friendlies this year, in January. But obviously, a friendly Superclasico is not the real deal! Now River are back in the Argentine first division and expectations are high for the upcoming derby. [caption id="attachment_6310" align="alignnone" width="620"] Boca and River: Rivals since 1908 / source[/caption]If you are a football lover, travelling to Buenos Aires at the end of October, you cannot afford to miss this momentous game! Witnessing the Argentina’s passion for football up close is an unforgettable experience.  First, get up to date on the Superclasico. Read last year’s post on our blog, a guide to the Superclasico and understand what it is all about. Now that you are informed, let us talk about the age-old – ever-present – rivalry between the two Buenos Aires soccer teams; the most entertaining part of the feud being the nicknames each team has for the other. The players of Boca Juniors are known as Xeneises or Bosteros. The first nickname is a reference to the origins of the team and their neighbourhood of La Boca, which was set up by Italian immigrants from Genoa. Genovese ended up becoming “Xeneises” in the local dialect. Bosteros came later and no one really is sure of its origins. The most likely explanation is that the grounds where the Boca’s La Bombonera stadium used to be the location of a brick factory; a factory that used horses for the heavy lifting and the horses would do their business on the factory grounds, creating a pungent smell of bosta (or dung). Another theory is that the first players of the Boca Juniors -  because they lived in, what at that time was one of the poorest neighbourhoods of Buenos Aires -  were at times  called up to collect horse dung on the streets of Buenos Aires – one of the worst jobs in the city at the time. [caption id="attachment_6304" align="alignnone" width="640"] Boca Juniors fans / source[/caption] Another theory is that the neighbourhood of La Boca flooded frequently, and when the water levels of the Rio de la Plata rose, the streets were filled with sewage stench. A famous chant of River Plate fans refers to “La Boca, la Boca se inundó y a todos los bosteros la m***a los tapó” (La Boca, la Boca is flooded and all the bosteros are covered in sh**t). A fourth theory, states that the name originally was “boteros”, because the residents of La Boca often wore botas (boots) to cross the River Riachuelo, which flows into the Rio de la Plata. [caption id="attachment_6305" align="alignnone" width="640"] Boca fans - also known as bosteros / source[/caption] As you can see there are many theories, but probably most surprising is the fact that Boca jumped on the bandwagon, embracing the jokes and the nickname, now referring to themselves bosteros. There are even songs that are chanted by Boca supporters that use the nickname: Words: Ole ole ole, ole ole ole ola Ole ole, cada dia te quiero más Ole ole, every day I love you more Yo soy bostero, es un sentimiento I’m bostero, it’s a feeling No puedo parar I can’t help it [caption id="attachment_6306" align="alignnone" width="702"] La Bombonera - Boca's famous stadium / source[/caption]Obviously, the fans of River have their own share of nicknames, like Gallinas and Millonarios (Chickens and Millionaires). Let us start with the easier one: Millonarios was the nickname given to River when they moved from the poorer neighbourhood of La Boca in 1923 to the more upper-class neighbourhood of Nuñez. It was also around this time that the team started to buy players at ridiculously high sums - an investment which in the end did not really pay off on the pitch. This is where the Boca and River split their fans by social class. Today however this is no longer the case, as both teams have fans from all of Argentina’s social classes. The name Millonarios however stuck. The nickname gallinas (chickens) has a more bizarre background. In 1966, River were up against the Chilean team, Peñarol in the finals for the Copa Libertadores. The Argentine side was winning 2:0, however the Chileans turned the game around and ended up winning the cup with 4:2. Shortly after, River played the Argentine team Banfield; during the game one of the Banfield fans let loose a chicken painted with a red stripe (River’s football strip is white with a red stripe across it) in an attempt to make fun of their recent loss. [caption id="attachment_6307" align="alignnone" width="667"] Celebrations at River's Estadio Monumental / source[/caption]Since then, players and fans of River are known as “gallinas”. However just like Boca, River too embraced their nickname and you can often see people dressed up as chickens at the matches. They even named the Stadium Monumental – River’s home stadium – “el gallinero” (the chicken coop or hen house): Words: Yo soy del gallinero, porque tenemos huevos,  I come from the hen house, because I have eggs (equivalent of: I have balls...) Corrimos a lo del rojo, también a los bosteros,  We chased the reds, as well as the bosteros Yo te sigo a todas partes millonario,  I’ll follow you wherever you go, millonario Siempre te vengo alentar, vamos campeón  I will always cheer you on, let’s go champion Vamos a ganar donde jugues vamos a estar,  We’ll win, wherever you play, we’ll be there Te alentare desde el tablón,  I’ll cheer you on from the stands, Te quiero ver salir campeón I want to see you be champion [caption id="attachment_6308" align="alignnone" width="640"] The Millionarios - fans of River Plate / source[/caption] How about you? Who will you be cheering for at this Buenos Aires Derby? Are you a gallina or bostero? Even if you do not want to cheer for either of them, (or simply want to observe the game), don’t forget to have a look at our guide to the superclasico, before buying your Buenos Aires football tickets. Have a look at our Football tours to the superclasico, football tickets and transfer all included. Find out more here! If you’re planning on travelling to Buenos Aires, but won’t make it in time for this month’s game, no worries: you can see other Buenos Aires Soccer Matches, booking one of our popular football tours.