From the depths of despair, a small glint of light shines through. Boca Juniors, suffering one of the worst runs of form in their history and the disappointment of seeing the return of club legend Carlos Bianchi as manager fall flat on its face, were preparing to enter Sunday’s superclásico against River Plate in the lowest spirits possible. Then, from nowhere, came salvation, of sorts.

Boca Juniors (photo by Matthew Winterburn on flickr)

It was the start of two weeks that would define Bianchi’s third spell as Boca coach, and very possibly his future at the Bombonera. The veteran trainer enjoys a privileged status around La Boca as one of its most successful figures in history; under his command, the club lifted three Copa Libertadores titles, four league trophies and, most famously, two titles in the old Intercontinental Cup over European opposition. No-one would have thought back in January that just four months into his latest stint, he fate would depend on a set of four key matches in quick succession.

A Copa Libertadores last-16 clash at home to Corinthians, followed by two derby matches against River and San Lorenzo, and rounded off by the return match against the Brazilians, who downed the Xeneize in the Copa final just under 12 months ago. A strong showing across the fortnight would leave Boca buoyant after suffering in 2013 – especially domestically, where their 10-game run without winning in the Primera División equals their worst-ever record. Failure would put great pressure on the man they call El Virrey to lift the team for the second half of the year.

Thankfully for supporters of one of Argentina’s biggest sporting institutions, a brief respite was secured this week with a win in the first of these key matches, over Corinthians. Playing against the South American and world champions, and one of the favourites to repeat their triumph this year, Boca were far more solid and organised than they have shown themselves during a chaotic league campaign, keeping a clean sheet against an attack that scored freely during the group stages. The icing on the cake came with an hour gone. A skewed cross-shot from Cristian Erbes was latched upon by Nicolas Blandi, and the striker finished perfectly to cap a 1—0 victory that gives his side a slim advantage ahead of the second leg. All of a sudden, things do not look so bad ahead of Sunday’s season-defining match.

Riquelme training with Boca Juniors in 2009 (photo: wikimedia commons)

After six months out in the wilderness, after he walked away from Boca following 2012’s Libertadores final defeat to Corinthians, the playmaker was enticed back to team up again with Bianchi at the start of the year. So far though, the partnership has failed to reach the heights of previous spells. Román has struggled with fitness and form, and a muscle tear forced him out of Wednesday’s Libertadores win. He is expected to make the superclásico, but at this stage it is far from clear if that is a boost for his team or a possible liability.

An inconsistent Riquelme, a disastrous defence that is the second-leakiest in the whole division, and a legendary coach struggling to make a winning team out of an undoubtedly talented squad plagued by injury and imbalance; that is the panorama currently facing Boca as they prepare for this weekend’s blockbuster clash. Victory over Corinthians has recovered some of the faith and confidence so severely lacking in recent weeks, but a win against the old rivals in front of the Bombonera faithful is still a big ask as the rescue mission continues on its first, tentative steps.

Lead image by Matthew Winterburn.

The president of football club Boca Juniors, Daniel Angelici, denied today that the club has any responsibility over a clash between rival factions of its barra brava that took place on Saturday. The altercation happened near Rosario, and left five people wounded.

According to police sources, the hooligan faction led by Mauro Martín was attacked by a rival group, led by Rafael Di Zeo, as they were stopped by police on Km 21 of the Rosario – Santa Fe motorway. The Di Zeo gang was making its way back to Buenos Aires as they could not enter the game between Boca and local club Unión in the city of Santa Fe. At that point, some of the cars carrying the barrabravas allegedly stopped and started shooting, injuring five people, including leader Martín.

Martín received a bullet wound in his stomach, which perforated his intestine. He had surgery in Rosario and was later transfered to a clinic in Buenos Aires. His family has requested that the clinic does not release information about the hooligan’s health condition.

In declarations to Radio 10 this morning, Angelici said that the fight between barras does not concern the club, as it happened outside its stadium, in a ‘neutral’ area. He added that the incident “was pre-announced since Di Zeo left court, and his group sang about how they were going to kill the traitors, referring to the other barra faction.”

The in-fighting within Boca’s barra brava is the result of competition between the factions to control the economic benefits of the club. Angelici stated that, in order to eradicate violence from football, “a strong political will is needed,” and that “that’s how it has been done in serious countries.”

The exhausted players collapse to the ground as the whistle blows to signal the end of training. Another Tuesday morning session packed with speed, intensity and pressure has taken its toll. But for the youth of Boca Juniors, this is not unfamiliar territory.

Since learning how to kick a ball, almost every boy’s ambition in Argentina is to become a professional footballer. Yet, the chance of playing for the sheer enjoyment and love of the game is, unfortunately, not a reality for these boys. The truth is that many players grow up under intense pressure and expectation from parents seeking a salvation.

Starting to play at a young age in the park. (Photo: Beatrice Murch)

The vast majority of these young boys come from under privileged areas or ‘villas’ in Argentina and offer a poor family their only hope of a better life.

It is no surprise then to hear of some players yielding to this unfair pressure, while the lucky few who make the grade often find the transformation, from nothing to everything, hard to handle.

Carlos Tevez is one player who grew up in rough conditions. The Manchester City star earned the nickname ‘El Apache’ from his time living in Barrio Ejército de los Andes (Fuerte Apache) – a poor and often very dangerous area just outside the capital Buenos Aires.

Man-City welcomes Carlos Tevez to Manchester. (Photo: Duncan Hull)

After impressing at Boca and then in Brazil, Tevez moved to England and has captivated supporters ever since with his bullish yet majestic style of play. Last season though, he found himself in troubled waters following two unsavoury incidents.

The striker was accused of disrespecting authority following his refusal to play against Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League, and was further condemned for holding up a ‘RIP Fergie’ banner, aimed at former boss Sir Alex Ferguson, during Manchester City’s Premier League victory parade.

Incidents not dissimilar to these ones also tainted the great Diego Maradona’s career in Europe and comparisons have often been drawn between the two – not only for their physical stature and abilities on the field but also their underprivileged boyhoods and seemingly blasé attitudes towards authority.

But are these controversies a case of coincidence or does the problem lie within the cultural makeup of Argentine football?

Certainly the life of an average Argentine boy differs wildly to that of an English youngster. Overzealous parents and coaches have at times placed unnecessary pressure on youngsters in England; nevertheless the general reason for playing football is for enjoyment.

For young children living in poor neighbourhoods in Argentina, the pressure to reach stardom and lift the family out of poverty leaves little room for enjoyment.

Whilst there is no proof that the controversies surrounding Tevez are a result of cultural differences and his upbringing, those running Boca’s youth setup are fully aware of the issue and concede that there is a cultural gap which needs to be bridged for future generations.

General Manager Lucas Labbad said: “We think it is difficult for a player to adapt to a new culture, especially at the age at which they leave. The footballers will leave before adolescence so it is difficult, and at this moment it is like there is an explosion.

Carlos Tevez playing for Argentina. (Photo: Saadick Dhansay)

“The cultures are different. Although we come from Europe and we originate from Europe, there are differences within the European culture, because Argentina has Latin roots and England is Anglo-Saxon. This makes our cultures different, and it takes a lot of adaption.

“Carlos is a player who has won everything, everywhere he has been. When he was 16-17 he had won everything. He is a person who wants to win in his life.

“So I think that the change in cultures at his age and his development was like an explosion and we couldn’t control it as we would have liked to.

“It is our new mission to work harder so that no player has these problems. I know that from where they come from it is quite difficult to cope with success when it comes along, and to maintain success is even more difficult.”

General coordinator of youth football and former Boca player Jorge Raffo is leading from the front with the new approach. Having spent time in Europe and US training youngsters he understands better than most how important it is to integrate socially into a new culture.

“In Argentina you play for life, you don’t play to enjoy it. That is very good and very bad. It is good because you have character and personality, like Carlos Tevez. But maybe it is bad because when you don’t enjoy it you can’t have a great performance,” he said.

“Players need to be a great in all areas; medical, tactical, physical and also psychological. You don’t just need the sport condition – you also need the human condition.”

Boca is, and always has been, a hot bed for young talent, with scouts from all over the world maintaining a keen interest in the club in search of the next superstar.

Boys in the 'Republica de La Boca' play football with a community mural as their backdrop. (Photo: Beatrice Murch)

In turn the vast majority of Boca players harbour a deep desire to move to Europe in order to boost their profile and also their bank account.

Raffo is determined to help players, who decide to make the move, understand what it takes to play for one of European’s elite clubs.

For this Raffo looks no further than Tevez’s clash with Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini as an example on how to respect authority.

“It’s difficult to talk about Tevez because we are so far away but I don’t think it is a very good example for young players. The respect for authority is so important,” he said.

“Tevez said he was sorry and he started to play again, I think that professional players must accept authority and the authority is the coach. And for us we take that example and talk to the players about that and it is another way for integration.”

Tevez may have riled a few people in the Premier League last season but one man who worked with the diminutive frontman during his time at Boca believes he has adapted well into the English culture.

Julio Santella, coordinator of physical trainers, said: “Carlos Tevez is an idol in England. I think that he has been able to adapt in his behaviour as a player.

“He knows his value and this has been reciprocated. He has adapted to a certain system and the people have found some qualities in him which have developed an idol status. It seems to me that the incidents that occurred just happen.”

One thing is for sure, however, and that is that Tevez’s arrival in England in 2006 was beset with controversy.
The move from Corinthians to West Ham resulted in the London outfit having to pay a hefty fine due to the involvement of a third party, Media Sports Investment, who owned the rights of Tevez.

And it is this emergence of companies dealing with players and coaches which make it even more complicated and pressurised for young players in South America according to head scout Horacio Garcia.

Garcia, who helped convince Tevez to join Boca when he was 11 year old, blames the pressure from parents and profit-seeking businessmen for the negative effect on a player’s personality.

“Tevez was a boy that lived in a poor place, but was an excellent person. He was everyone’s best friend. Sometimes people have prejudices about these places and they are wrong,” he remembered. “He helped all of his friends, he was humble and he never missed a practice.

“You can see a player in his purest form playing football. But today he has to fight against his family, because his parents put a chip in his head from a very young age, that he must be the salvation of the family. It is not good for a boy of 12, 13 or 14 years to play with that pressure.

“Entrepreneurs have also emerged who before didn’t get into youth football. Now they are looking for boys of seven or eight years old to represent. But they are not interested in training, just in business.

“There was a great teacher called Jorge Griffa, who taught me a phrase that remains in football today… ‘The Argentina football players are all good, but maybe they would be better if they were orphans.’”

In March 2012, Boca announced an alliance with Barcelona to share ideas and training methods. The scheme allows Boca access to the La Candela training centre which is run by Barcelona in Buenos Aires. In return the Catalan giants are granted first refusal regarding the players that represented the club in Argentina and that from now on shall be wearing the shirt of Boca Juniors.

Raffo, who was an integral part to the programme having worked closely with Boca president Daniel Angelici, is confident that as well as benefitting the club on the pitch, it will also go some way to taming culture shocks.

“The objective of the project was to play the same as Barcelona,” he said. “They noticed when (Lionel) Messi had problems with adaptation because he was so young and so they chose Argentina to team up with, to help any future players making the same transition. They chose Argentina because Messi was born here and he was an inspiration.”

Argentina continues to produce some of the best talent on the planet. Their abilities and technique are seldom in question and their passion will always win favour with fans around the world.

Whether Tevez’s actions last season can be put down to a clash of cultures or just a flash in the pan action it is hard to know. The coaches behind Boca’s youth team will not be taking any chances in preparing their next superstar for the life of stardom that awaits him.

Román Riquelme announced today that he will be leaving football club Boca Juniors following the team’s defeat at the hands of Brazilian tema Corinthians. The club were denied their 7^th consecutive victory yesterday in the Copa Libertadores.

By midday, Riquelme had confirmed with his team mates and manager that he would be stepping down and ending his 11 year career with the club.

Speaking at a dawn press conference in Pacaembú, an emotional Riquelme said “I feel empty and I have nothing left to give the club”.

“I will always be a fan of this club and I couldn’t play at 50%. I’ve lived for football for 16 years but now I don’t have anything left to give.”

Riquelme ended the press conference saying “I’m going to go home, hug my kids and have a barbeque with friends. I’m going to apologise to my son for not taking the cup and say that if he wants to see me play maybe he can elsewhere, but not here, because I can’t be here and not be giving 100%.”

Boca Juniors lost yesterday to Brazilian team Corinthians by 2-0. Corinthens won the cup on points by 4-1 making this their first Libertadores cup. The event is one of the most watched football events in Latin America.

Speaking after the loss, manager Julio César Falcioni said “the team gave everything, they made a great effort. We played before a great team and I feel proud.”

Sources are claiming that disagreements with Falcioni and club manager Daniel Angelici prompted Riquelme’s exit. Riquelme has not commented on this, saying only “I love this club, I love the fans and I am very grateful. I am and will always be a Boca fan.”

The 34 year old joined Boca Juniors in 1995 but transferred to Barcelona FC in 2002. He rejoined Boca in 2007 on a five-month loan, playing a big part in the team’s victory in the 2007 Copa Libertadores. This same tournament saw him take home the competition’s ‘Most Valuable Player’ award and his contract was renewed.

Boca Juniors is in the first division and is one of the most successful teams in Argentina, having won 18 international titles.

The team will start training for the preseason on the 16^th July when the fate of many other players may be decided.

Stepping off a busy Monserrat street into an elegant lobby, gliding across clean marble floor, past men in suits and manicured ladies sipping champagne, you feel a million miles away from the gritty La Boca neighbourhood. But, this is the new Boca Juniors Hotel: a US$25 million, five-star hotel, which opened last week and claims to be the first football-themed hotel in the whole world.

Hotel Boca

The 7-floor, 85-room hotel is based on Boca Juniors Football Club, evident in the ever-present blue and yellow team colours, which run throughout the hotel, from the pillows to the swimming pool tiles. It’s not the most flattering colour lay out in my view, but if you’re a Boca fan, it gives you the chance to bask in your team’s colours everywhere.

Fans can also enjoy the Boca ‘bubbles’ – semi circular tubes displaying Boca paraphernalia – found in the main hallways on each floor, while each bedroom TV has a Boca channel, telling you everything you could ever want to know about the club.

Down in the bar, five parallel screens show the infamous Boca fans filling up the Estadio Alberto J. Armando (or ‘La Bombonera’), insanely cheering their team on, jumping as one quite unsettlingly like an organ, then clearing out again – matchday at the Boca club all speeded up. This scene is played over an over again while the clients of the five-star, US$155-$600 a night hotel sip their cosmopolitans: it makes you wonder how many of the fans on the screen could stay at this hotel.

Aside from that… it’s just a normal top range hotel. It’s accessible and smart; you don’t have to be a Boca fan to enjoy it. There’s nothing particularly spectacular about the hotel either, aside from the truly beautiful architecture, which is worth a visit alone.

Designed by award-winning Uruguayan architect Carlos Ott, whose previous projects include the MALBA museum, the Opéra Bastille in Paris, and Wenzhou Grand Theatre in China, Hotel Boca carries his very distinctive style. Contrasting futuristic curves and straight, clean parallel lines, it wouldn’t look out of place in Dubai, and standing out amongst the Microcentro skyline, it clearly aims to make a statement.

Inside, the bar is small and well stocked. If you sit in the corner, you can look up through the glass ceiling at all the healthy people in the gym and smugly carry on sipping your drink. If relaxing is more your thing, just beyond the gym is an indoor swimming pool, sauna, steam-room, and spa.

The rooms are minimalist chic, with white and beige muted furniture and décor – as a football hotel, it’s not really what’s expected. Notable extras are the Nespresso coffee maker, tea menu, and a DVD menu (for when you get bored of the reading facts on the Boca channel).

A room with a view in Hotel Boca (courtesy Hotel Boca)

The hotel rooms on the higher floors are really worth the extra lift ride, however, as the glass windows reaching floor to ceiling gives a pretty good view over the city. I lie, the view is absolutely amazing. This is one of the real perks of the hotel, where the central position means, day or night, the cityscape is there for your own personal pleasure. This view can enjoyed lying on your bed, sitting in the comfy sofa seats, and even in the bath.

Overall, it’s a really nice, fancy hotel, and it’s possible to get a room without an extortionate price tag – although I would say it’s probably more higher-end four star than a full five star lodging. Being a football hotel, it could have been a hell of a lot tackier, though the football players painted in full Grecian god-like glory on the each bedroom door is a bit much for me. But then again, for others, calling home to boast that you’re “in the Diego Maradona suite” might be the highlight of staying.

Dario Cvitanich for La Boca Juniors (Photo courtesy of AFA)

In August, there was legitimate concern another poor run of form could leave Boca Juniors vulnerable to the same fate that sent arch rivals River Plate to the ‘National B’ division at the end of last season.

Fast forward four months, and Boca have been crowned champions of the Apertura—the first of Argentina’s two annual seasons— with two games still to play, unbeaten and having conceded just four goals in 17 games.

Boca wrapped up their first league title since 2008, and 24th in their history, with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Banfield at La Bombanera on Sunday evening. The first time they have sealed the Championship on their own ground for 11 years, there was much for the Xeneizes to celebrate after three lean years, and delighted fans partied at the obelisk until the early hours of Monday morning.

They dealt with this final hurdle as simply as they have overcome every other obstacle this season, barely breaking a sweat to beat the team from Zona Sur. Boca were in control from the first whistle to the last, even if there was an air of fortune about the two first-half goals, scored by former Banfield player Darío Cvitanich. There was no luck about the third, however, a stunning strike into the top corner from Diego Rivero from 25 yards out. Scored just two minutes after half-time, it effectively ended the game.

Juan Román Riquelme trying to drive the ball under pressure from opponent César Mansanelli. (Photo courtesy of AFA)

The cheers were loud for each goal but nothing rivalled the noise heard when Juan Roman Riquelme, Boca’s legendary talisman, entered the field to play the final 25 minutes. Injured for the previous five games, his genius in the early part of the season was instrumental to this title win.

The trophy is also a tribute to manager Julio César Falcioni, who has taken on one of the most high pressure jobs in Argentina and performed it with aplomb. Falcioni is the eighth man to take charge at La Bombanera since their last title, just three years ago. Concentrating on making them a hard team to beat, he has focused on their spine. Agustín Orión in goal, veteran centre-half Rolando Schiavi (captain for the season) and defensive midfielder Leandro Somoza have been the rocks the triumph was built on. All three were brought in by Falcioni. Asked after the game why Boca had won the title, the stern-faced manager simply replied: “Because we were the best team.”

Though they won the title at a stroll, it has to be said that Boca lacked a worthy rival. Racing Club entertained hopes of a title challenge but their inability to turn draws into wins cost them dear. Estudiantes de La Plata, the most consistent team in recent years, coped poorly with the loss of their manager Alejandro Sabella to the national team. Last season’s champions, Vélez Sarsfield, have been struggling to deal with the sale of three of their best players to clubs in Italy and made a conscious decision to focus on the Copa Sudamericana at the expense of the league. That left the road clear for Boca to win the title with a good, if not spectacular, team.

Promoted Clubs the Surprise Package

Away from the title challenge, in this historic first season without River Plate, the performance of the promoted clubs has been one of the main surprises. Belgrano de Córdoba, who consigned the Millonarios to the second division, are comfortably in the top half while San Martín de San Juan, who beat Gimnasia y Esgrima de La Plata in the other play-off are mid-table. But the real sensation has been Atlético Rafaela, who were promoted directly after winning the Primera B Nacional title. Promoted clubs normally struggle to score goals when they make the step up but only Mendoza’s Godoy Cruz have netted more times than the Santa Fe side.

La Boca barrabravas (Photo: HansWurst76)

With the Clausura, the second season in the Argentinean football year, still to come, it is a long time before relegation issues—which are decided after both seasons—come to the fore. As things stand, all three promoted clubs are out of danger. The same cannot be said for San Lorenzo, the most high profile club in danger of following in River’s footsteps and being relegated to La B. A disastrous season has seen problems on and off the pitch for El Ciclón. After a 1-0 defeat to Arsenal de Sarandí in October, three club hooligans (barrabravas) entered the training ground and beat up longstanding centre half Jonathan Bottinelli. They have not won a game since. In November Leonardo Madelón took over from Omar Asad charged with turning around a team has won just five games all season.

Sadly, San Lorenzo have not been the only club guilty of violence during the Apertura. Hooliganism also reared its ugly head in a game between Estudiantes and Banfield on 21st November. The game was abandoned after Estudiantes fans behind the goal threw fireworks at Banfield keeper Christian Lucchetti. Later that evening a Banfield barrabrava was shot dead in what was believed to be part of an internal struggle in the Banfield barra. Meanwhile, the release of former Boca hooligan leader Rafael Di Zeo from prison and his return to La Bombanera forced a public prosecutor in November to ban both him and current barra boss Mauro Martin from every stadium in the country to prevent an internal gang war.

Back to matters on the pitch, the win puts Boca in next year’s Copa Libertadores where they will join Clausura 2010 champions Vélez Sarsfield, Lanús and Arsenal. With two games remaining the final place in South America’s most prestigious club competition is still up for grabs. Godoy Cruz must fight off the challenge of Tigre, three points behind them, if the Mendoza club is to make the Libertadores for the second year in a row and just the second time in its history.

You can follow more of Rory’s Argentine football analysis at his blog Supercrassico

Boca Juniors won the Apertura Championship by beating Banfield 3-0 at La Bombonera stadium, with two matches to spare.  With 39 points from 17 matches, 11 points ahead of the second placed Racing Club, the team led by Julio César Falcioni proved they were the strongest team throughout the tournament.

Darío Cvitanich scored at 9 and at 44 minutes, and Rivero scored another goal within the first minute of the second half.

Banfield is placed last in the tournament.

This is Boca’s 24^th league title since the beginning of the tournament in 1931.

Before the game, the ballots to elect a new president at Boca Juniors club closed, with a record attendance of 24,100 members.

There have been some confrontations between football fans and the police as tickets for the Sunday Boca and Godoy Cruz match went out at 10am today in Mendoza.

The queue for the tickets started forming yesterday but many fans have been jostling to be the first ones in line. According to witnesses, some people started throwing stones as the police tried to control the commotion.

A large police operation is expected to be put in place on Sunday to control the Barra de Boca firm members, with between 1,000 and 1,200 police officers on duty before, during and after the match.

In Buenos Aires, 4500 tickets have been allocated to club members.

A Latvian woman was detained in Córdoba airport after she was found to be carrying six kilos of cocaine, hidden in Boca Juniors football club merchandise.

The find was made by a specially trained sniffer dog, according to a statement released this morning by the Federal Administration of Public Revenue (AFIP), as the woman tried to board a plane destined for Paris. The drugs were located inside various items of Boca Juniors merchandise, including a wall clock, scarves, pots of shampoo, and even a packet of cocoa powder.

The case remains in the hands of the Federal court of the city of Córdoba, and judge Ricardo Bustos Fierro, the man who ordered the seizure of the drugs and arrest of the woman.

So far this year the AFIP has seized 70 kilograms of cocaine in Córdoba airport alone.

Photo by Angus Barthram

I entered the church late: mass already underway, the choir already crooning an unknown vesper and the priest heading to the pulpit.

This, however, wasn’t your typical Christian service as, rather than a traditional church, the proceedings were taking place in Pizza Banana, Italian restaurant cum nightclub; rather than eating the body and blood of Christ, a choice of Margherita or Pepperoni pizzas with a complementary beer was available; rather than a classic choir singing about the bible, there were 300 football fans shouting about former glories of Argentina’s national team and, rather than a robed and ordained clergyman giving a sermon, there was a short, rotund man in a football shirt speaking from a DJ’s booth.

All in all, just another normal service at the church of Diego Maradona.

The Church

The Iglesia Maradoniana was conceived ten years ago by some friends in Rosario. They shared so great a love of the infamous player that today’s 120,000 worldwide members of the church believe that the former Boca and Argentina star is God himself.

In fact, amongst the surreal revelry of their services, it is often hard to discern whether the idea of the church is just a homage-in-jest to Argentina’s greatest footballer or a cult who actually believe that the mortal Maradona is the one true Messiah, as 28-year-old Bálo, one of the church’s ‘Ten Apostles’, suggested: “The church isn’t just a bit of fun, this is a serious celebration of our eternal love for God. I may have only been part of the church for two years but I was born ‘Maradonian’.”

Photo by Angus Barthram

According to the word of the church, ‘football is the religion and, like all religions, has a God. The God of football is Argentine and his name is Diego Armando Maradona.’ The church’s insignia is the portmanteau D10S, a combination of the word Dios (God in Spanish) and Maradona’s shirt number 10.

La Iglesia Maradoniana even goes as far as to have its own ten commandments, for example ‘Do not mention the name Diego in connection with any one club’, own miracles in the form of Maradona’s playing feats and even its own prayers (see box-out).

The church meets biannually: once for ‘Noche buena y Navidad Maradoniana’, or ‘Maradona Christmas Eve and Christmas’, over the eve of the 29thand running into the 30th October to commemorate Maradona’s birthday (and the birthday of the church) and once for ‘Las Pascuas Maradonianas’, ‘Maradona Easter’, on the 22nd June to mark the day that Argentina knocked rivals England out of the 1986 World Cup quarter-finals through two Maradona goals, one of which being the infamous ‘Mano de Dios’.

I was fortunate enough to attend the service of ‘Noche Buena y Navidad Maradoniana’, which this year coincided with the ten year anniversary of the church’s conception and promised a ‘big surprise at midnight’.

La Navidad Maradoniana

The service heading towards its climax, Christmas joy and merriment radiated from the rosy cheeks of all in attendance and a crisp festive air filled the room as the efficient Pizza Banana air conditioning systems clicked up a notch and the free booze set into complexions around the room.

Photo by Angus Barthram

The idea of the ‘Noche Buena y Navidad’ service is to mirror the excitement and celebration of the classic Christian Christmas Eve and Christmas day but replacing the birth of the Good Shepard Jesus Christ with that of Diego Maradona, man of vice.

Already in a state of some consternation at the sight of so many Maradona shirts, videos, books, flags, paintings and Christmas trees, I was flabbergasted to see the procession of the ‘Ten Apostles’.All veiled in white, ten apparitions filed out of a back room, parading themselves with an eerie gravity.They carried different relics representing their faith, ranging from a football boot or a faux world cup trophy to a rosary with 34 beads (the number of goals Maradona scored for his nation) and even a bleeding football adorned in a crown of thorns.

As I sat, digging into a big slice of Sloppy Giuseppe and watching a month-year-old baby being officially baptised as ‘Maradonian’, I was struck by another pang of incredulity. Can this be real? Co-founder Hernán Amez was able to shed more light: “I am not a Catholic. Religion is about feelings and we feel football. I’ve been doing this for ten years now and it’s not just a bit of fun, it’s a religion.”

The quiz was finished, the pizza eaten, the ‘Mano de Dios’ and Maradona tattoo competitions won and all Maradona wedding contracts signed. The atmosphere reached fever pitch as camera crews huddled, fanatical warbling of ‘Volveremos a ser campeones como en ochenta seis’ filled the air and the countdown began, all awaiting the ‘big surprise’.

Alas, Maradona himself wasn’t to turn up but he was reached on the phone, addressing the horde, saying: “God will be with us again and He will give us another victory like 1986.”Whether I find the mention of ‘God’ alarming through its piety or reassuring as it uses the third person, I’m not sure.

Champagne was served shortly after and more preaching did nothing to ebb the torrent of euphoric chanting reverberating off the walls of Pizza Banana’s church all night. Given my nationality and the growing fervour of the pro-‘Mano de Dios’ hymns, I decided to slip off.

Photo by Angus Barthram

Absurd?

Still haunted by the conundrum of such a ridiculous notion juxtaposed with such stern responses from those I asked, I can’t determine whether the Iglesia Maradoniana is a serious joke or an absurd reality, whether Bálo and Hernán Amez were good actors or deadly serious.

The revelry of the service was heightened by the day’s announcement that the inexperienced Maradona is to become Argentina’s new national coach. The absurdity of Maradona being the new coach or, let alone, being God is compounded by the controversy that tarnishes his past. To add to his on-pitch misbehaviour, Maradona has struggled with vices such as alcohol and cocaine addictions as well as obesity and has needed to be medically treated for many health issues.

However, Maradona being God doesn’t seem so ridiculous to all outsiders as a fellow expatriate at the service, Anthony Bale, 23 from Glasgow (interestingly the church has 1,500 Scottish members), told me: “What has Jesus done that Maradona hasn’t? They have both performed miracles, just that Maradona’s are actually on record. The ideologies aren’t so different.”

The next service will be on the 22nd June 2009, visit the website for more details: www.iglesiamaradoniana.com.ar