The planet is shaking - a football earthquake, with the epicenter in Buenos Aires, is shaking Argentina, in the final of the Copa Libertadores, Boca Juniors and River Plata will fight for the title of the best team on the South American continent.
If a match can be said to represent more than life for the fans, then it is the Argentine Superclasico. The match of matches, derby of derbies, the duel that paralyzes the capital of Argentina takes on a new dimension tomorrow - for the first time in the final, two teams decide on the best on the continent.
BOKE FANS WORSHIP PIBE
Since 1913, when the first match was played, a large number of famous players have worn the blue-yellow or red-white jersey. Boka's hero is Diego Armando Maradona. El Pibe played for "Bombonjera" for two terms - first, in 1981, he rejected River's offer and moved from Argentinos Juniors to Boca. Fans remember Maradona's first Super Classic when he scored a goal, and "Genoese" celebrated 3:0. Then he went to Europe and after an odyssey on the Old Continent he returned to the club in 1995.
He played the last match in his favorite jersey in 1997, precisely against his biggest rival - he was replaced, and Juan Roman Rikelme, the future favorite of the fans, entered the field instead.
Riquelme's path - like Maradona's - went through Argentinos Juniors to Boca, and later to Barcelona. The football magician, like his predecessor, played twice for his beloved club - from 1996 to 2002 and from 2007 to 2014. In the first season after returning to the "Bombonjero", Riquelme, in tandem with the legendary Martin Palermo, brought the Copa Libertadores trophy to the club's showcases . It was the sixth and to date the last cup won by the team from Buenos Aires in the continental competition. Only Independiente has more - seven.
Carlos Tevez played three times for Boca. The youngster made his debut for the first team in 2001 and stayed at the club for three years. He returned in 2015, but the call of Chinese money was stronger, so he left the team after one season, which the fans did not accept enthusiastically. He stayed in China for a year and immediately returned to his home club, where he continues to perform.
Antonio Roma, Silvio Marcolini, Roberto Muco and Antonio Ratin are part of Boka's history. Muco holds the record for the number of appearances in the blue and yellow jersey (426), Ratin spent his entire career at the club, he defended Roma more than 400 times, and while Marcolini was running on the left side of the field, Boca won five titles.
RIVERA'S HERO IS ZIDA'S IDOL
What Maradona is to Boca, Enzo Francescoli is to River. Zinedine Zidane's idol wore the jersey of the club with "Monumental" on two occasions (1983-1986 and 1994-1997), during which time he played 197 games and scored 79 goals. He won the Copa Libertadores with the club in 1996. The most deserving of that title is Hernan Crespo. In the second final match against Colombian America Cali, he scored two goals and brought the cup to the "millionaires".
Ariel Ortega was also in that championship team. "Burito" wore the red and white jersey from 1991 to 1996, then returned in 2000 and left after two years. For the third time, he was contracted to River from 2006 to 2012, but spent most of his last term on loan throughout Argentina.
Herman Burgos, Juan Pablo Sorin, Pablo Aimar and Matijas Almeida also played in the team that won the South American version of the Champions League in 1996...
BETRAYAL IS NOT FORGIVEN
Not a small number of footballers who played for both teams, which is considered a betrayal of unprecedented proportions.
- For one, you are a traitor, others don't believe you - said Oskar Ruđeri, who moved from Boka to River in 1985.
Gabriel Batistuta is one of the players whose career is marked by appearances for both clubs. Batigol only wore the River Plate jersey for one season, and he left the team in 1990 due to disagreements with the coach at the time, Daniel Pasarello, and went straight to his big rival. He exploded on "Bombonjera" and became an extraordinary attacker.
"Millionaire" was "bitten" by Claudio Caniđa. "Son of the Wind" played at "Monumental" for three years, before going to Europe. After seven years of playing abroad, he came straight to Boka. And when he scored a hat-trick in the Super Classic in 1997, Rivero fans could only believe that it was all a bad dream. The jersey of both clubs was worn by, among others, Ugo Gatti, Nicolas Bertolo, Abel Balbo, Alberto Tarantini, Riccardo Gareca...
The first match of the final will be played tomorrow at 21:24 our time at "Bombonjera", the second leg is on November XNUMX at "Monumental".
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