SA Blog Number 13 - River Plate: Argentina’s Sleeping Giant On Verge Of New Awakening
December 2nd 2009
A few weeks ago River Plate held a ceremony to officially open their new Dr. Who-like museum, one befitting of a club with such rich footballing history.
However, River’s current form is anything but befitting of that winning tradition. 14th in the Torneo Apertura, three wins from 16 games and on the brink of missing out on qualification for the Copa Libertadores (South America´s version of the Champions League) for the first time in 15 years; it’s a position unfamiliar to a club like River.
The name ‘River Plate’ doesn´t quite hold the same credence as it did a decade ago, when players would jump at the chance to play in the red and white. As a result, the club has looked, quite unsuccessfully, to old friends in the form of the ageing Ariel Ortega, Marcelo Gallardo and Matias Almeyda to return the club to former glories. The current squad is one of poor quality, comprising of a few aging greats (some with great commitment - some without), a few run of the mill players, the odd ogre and a meagre sprinkling of starlets. A great team, it is not. An unbalanced one, it certainly is. The result of this is a side that plays well in short bursts but cannot perform to any real standard for the full 90 minutes.
Off the field, things are even worse, in fact, they are probably the root cause. However, with the presidential elections coming up on December 5th, the Buenos Aires club are set for a much needed overhaul at the top. This particular period in the club’s history is a critical one. The eight year reign of current club president Jose Aguilar shall soon be over (much to the delight of the River fans) and as Election Day beckons for Argentina´s most politicised club, the candidates are on the hunt for those vital votes, and those candidates to replace Aguilar are:
Antonio Caselli and Alfredo Davicce – Caselli has invested more heavily in his campaign thus far than any of the other candidates. His political strategy seems to be one reminiscent of Real Madrid’s Florentino Pérez; touting big names signings, such as Julio Baptista, Diego Lugano and Mario Bolatti, as well as former River Plate greats such as Fernando Cavenaghi and Diego Placente. Current coach Leo Astrada will probably be casting his vote in this direction after Caselli personally guaranteed the his safety at a recent press conference. If elected, he´ll be joined by ex-president Alfredo Davicce as his second in command.
Daniel Passarella and Diego Turnes – Passarella has thus far relied on his image as a legendary player and respected coach to gain votes. His appraisal of the current administration will also have won him support – he publicly condemned Aguilar´s tenure as “the worst administration in the history of River.” El Gran Capitán, as he is affectionately known, has, like Caselli, mentioned a desire to bring back a few River old boys in the form of Hernan Crespo, Javier Saviola and Pablo Aimar, but the former Argentina national team coach is looking toward a more pragmatic approach to the club’s future, "River needs leadership, mysticism, honesty, credibility, different image, seriously, all the things it has lost."
Having spent some time in Italy with Parma, albeit a brief spell, Passarella has also outlined his intentions to ‘Europeanise’ the managerial structure of the club and return a classic ‘South American’ style of play. While opinion polls seem to put Passarella among the favourites to succeed Aguilar, there are still many River fans who call Passarella a Bostero (a Boca fan). The idea that he will ‘rob the club’ is just one of many wild conspiracies about the former Argentina coach.
Mariano Mera Figueroa – Should he win, Figueroa is looking to bring in a new coach. Not just any coach, but Ramon Diaz – the club’s most successful coach in recent times. “It’s time for Ramon Diaz to come in, an experienced man with River who knows the game.” Figueroa said. “He knows how to build a team that will play attractive and successful football. He is the best unemployed coach out there at the moment and I intend to bring him home.” Figueroa is also relying on his family history, which he recently spoke about with Clarin. “My grandfather was the president of River from 1959 to 1981. I have lived many years within the walls of the institution and have participated politically with the club since 1990.”
Figueroa’s campaign is focused on bringing financial stability back to a club that, like many of their compatriots, have fallen on hard times. He claims to have agreed ‘twinning’ deals with European clubs that will secure almost $40 million for the club.
Rodolfo D´Onofrio and Hugo Santilli – If Figueroa thought he had done well in securing Diaz, he may just have been upstaged by Rodolfo D´Onofrio. He revealed an ace up his sleeve back in October when it became known that, should he win the election, River Plate legend Enzo Francescoli would become the club’s new manager. It´s certainly a name that resonates, but there is a question mark over his managerial ability as he has no previous experience. It is thought if he does return to River, it would be in a similar capacity to that of Carlos Bianchi at arch rivals - Boca Juniors. “I love River with a fierce passion and could not stand by and let it suffer anymore,” D’Onofrio told Clarin. “I want the club to be transparent, honest and to have a well managed project in place. A major change is needed to end the nightmare the club currently finds itself in.”
He has also outlined his ambitions to take River into the world’s biggest markets, albeit a little less tactfully than some of the other owners of the worlds biggest clubs. “I want to bring one Chinese player to play on the team. Why? With a population of 1.4 billion people, there has to be one that knows how to play well.”
Daniel Kiper - Kiper is the only name in this list that actually ran for the presidency of River Plate in the last election in 2005 - where he received just 7.3% of the vote. Like the others, he has spoken of his ambitions of restoring pride to the club. “I see pain everywhere at the club. The football, economics and the institution itself are all worrying. I want to restore the club’s reputation and regenerate the marketing arm of the club. I want to reach out to River fans and give them something to be proud of again."
Kiper is seemingly alone in his intention of taking on River’s Barra bravas (ultras), however. “We propose it is made illegal for the club to pass on funds to the Barra bravas. That will be the first step in the process and then we work with the police. Also, it is logical that we equip our match day staff better to deal with violence. First and foremost, however, the most important thing is to stop providing the perpetrators of the trouble with money.” He also spoke of his worries of the fraud at the polling booths, but remains defiant. “I know there will be fraud. The only way to defeat the fraud though is for a massive turn out of the members at the polls come 5th December.”
A New Dawn
River fans are fed up of the corruption, the cronyism, the constant waste of club assets, the betrayal, the violence and the mediocrity that has plagued their club for so long. Many fans claim the club has been missing its soul and its identity.
River Plate is a club that has been struggling with a major institutional crisis for a number of years now, but if nothing else, the imminent elections have provided Los Millonarios’ faithful with a slight respite and a much needed distraction from the club’s dismal form on the pitch. Major structural change finally looks to be on the cards for one of South America’s sleeping giants and one thing’s for sure, it will certainly be an eventful few weeks running up to Election Day; it always is!
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David Phillips
:::2009-12-03 01:07:43
Whomever takes over faces a tough challenge. Really the only player they have that´s playing well is Diego Buonanotte, the little mouse of a playmaker. Though only about 5´3", he´s an amazing player, and can cause opposing defenses all kinds of fits on his own.
El Ogro Fabbiani could perhaps regain his form, but right now he´s like a troll under a bridge that´s never used.
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