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Football rivalries in Argentina
There are a number of major football rivalries in Argentina.
Superclasico
Main article Superclasico
The Superclasico is the most important football rivalry in Argentina, it is contested between Buenos Aires rivals River Plate and Boca Juniors. It derives from the Spanish usage of "clasico" to mean derby and the prefix super is used because Boca Juniors and River Plate are the two most popular and successful teams in Argentine football comendering more than 70% of all Argentine football fans between them.
The Superclasico is known worldwide as one of world football's fiercest and most important derbies. It is particularly noted for the passion of the fans, the stands of both teams feature fireworks, coloured confetti, flags and rolls of paper. Both sets of supporters sing passionate songs (often based on popular Argentine rock band tunes) against their rivals, and the stadiums are known to bounce with the simultaneous jumping of the fans. Sometimes the games have been known to end in riots between the hardest supporters of both sides or against the police. The English newspaper The Observer put the Superclasico at the top of their list of 50 sporting things you must do before you die..
Avellaneda derby
Main article Avellaneda derby
The Avellaneda derby (clasico de Avellaneda) is the second most important rivalry in Argentine football (the two teams have many fans throughout the country) and the second most important local derby behind the Superclasico, who is contested between Boca Juniors and River Plate. It is contested between Independiente and Racing, the 3rd (Independiente) and 5th (Racing) most popular and successful teams in terms of the total number of league championships won.
Huracan versus San Lorenzo de Almagro derby
The Huracan versus San Lorenzo de Almagro derby is contested between Huracan and San Lorenzo de Almagro (this derby hasn't got a name). These clubs played in different divisions for several years but were reunited in the Primera Division in 2007. The clubs are both based in the city of Buenos Aires.
Rosario derby
Main article Rosario derby
The Rosario derby (clasico Rosarino) is the most important derby between clubs that are not based in the autonomous city or the province of Buenos Aires. It is contested between Newell's Old Boys and Rosario Central, the two major teams in the city of Rosario. The teams nicknames relate from the same incident where Rosario Central refused to play a charity game for a Leprosy charity, hence their nickname Canallas (Scoundrels). Newell's Old Boys stepped in to play the game and earned the nickname Los Leprosos (The Lepers).
Cordoba derby
The Cordoba derby (clasico Cordobes) is contested between the 1st and 2nd important teams in the city of Cordoba , Belgrano and Talleres. The derby in this moment ocurred in the Segunda Division.
La Plata derby
Main article: La Plata derby
The La Plata derby (clasico Platense) is contested between the two major clubs in the city of La Plata, Estudiantes de La Plata and Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata. The derby is fiercely contested, and the rivalry between the fans is so extreme that Gimnasia fans have been accused of making death threats to their own team in order to make them lose on purpose to Boca Juniors in order to damage Estudiantes' chances of winning the championship.
Santa Fe derby
The Santa Fe derby (clasico Santafesino) is contested between the two major teams in the city of Santa Fe, Colon de Santa Fe and Union de Santa Fe. The derby has not occurred in official competition for several years, since Union's relegation from the Primera Division.
West derby (west of Buenos Aires)
The West derby (clasico del Oeste) is contested between the two major teams in the west of the city of Buenos Aires, Ferro Carril Oeste and Velez Sarsfield. The derby has not occurred in official competition for several years, since Ferro's relegation from the Primera Division.
Instituto de Cordoba versus Racing de Cordoba derby
The Instituto de Cordoba versus Racing de Cordoba derby is contested between the 3rd and 4th important teams in the city of Cordoba, Instituto de Cordoba and Racing de Cordoba (this derby hasn't got a name). The derby has not ocurred because Instituto de Cordoba are in the Segunda Division and Racing de Cordoba are in the Tercera Division.
Rafaela derby
The Rafaela derby (clasico Rafaelino) is contested between the two major teams in the city of Rafaela, Atletico de Rafaela and Ben Hur. This derby in this moment are in the Segunda Division.
Other notable derbies
Tucuman derby - San Martin de Tucuman v Tucuman
South derby (south of the Greater Buenos Aires) - Banfield v Lanus
Mar del Plata derby - Aldosivi v Alvarado de Mar del Plata
Resistencia derby - Chaco For Ever v Sarmiento
Mendoza derby - Gimnasia y Esgrima de Mendoza v Independiente Rivadavia
San Juan derby - Desamparados v San Martin de San Juan
Salta derby - Central Norte v Juventud Antoniana
Bahia Blanca derby - Olimpo de Bahia Blanca v Villa Mitre
Other derbies
Gimnasia y Esgrima de Jujuy v Gimnasia y Tiro de Salta
Argentinos Juniors v Platense
All Boys v Atlanta
Deportivo Espanol v Sportivo Italiano
Godoy Cruz Antonio Tomba v Independiente Rivadavia
Chacarita Juniors v Nueva Chicago
Lanus v Quilmes
Atlanta v Chacarita Juniors
Banfield v Quilmes
Rivadavia de Lincoln v El Linqueno de Lincoln
San Martin de Mendoza v Independiente Rivadavia
Platense v Tigre
Defensores de Belgrano v Excursionistas
Temperley v Los Andes
Colegiales v Comunicaciones
Almirante Brown v Deportivo Laferrere
Argentino de Rosario v Central Cordoba
Argentino de Merlo v Deportivo Merlo
Almirante Brown v Deportivo Moron
Arsenal de Sarandi v El Porvenir
Sportivo Dock Sud v San Telmo
Chacarita Juniors v Deportivo Moron
Almagro v Estudiantes
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This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Football rivalries in Argentina
